


Only words can express how I feel about you

by SophiaHoppia



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Anal Sex, Anxiety, Aural Kink, BDSM mentioned, Clarus is best dad ever, Consensual Sex, Cor is in charge of the Kingsglaive, Denial, Dom/sub undertones mentioned, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Friendship, Gladio & Iggy can summon stuff from the Armiger, Gladio is 21, Gladio needs a trigger warning for water bottles, Gladio's POV, I'm bad at tagging and writing summaries, I'm having way too much fun coming up with Latin names for minor OCs, Iggy is 20, Iggy writes fanfiction, Indirect Kiss, Iris is 8, M/M, Massage, Mutual Pining, Oral Sex, Phone Sex, Piercings, Pole Dancing, Praise Kink, Prom is 18, Rated E for later chapters, Rough Sex, Sex Toys, Slice of Life, Slow Burn, Soft sex, Tattoos, Teasing, Texting, Threesome - M/M/M, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, adults getting drunk, before the roadtrip, ch 1-13: each chapter covers one week, ch 14-27: each chapter covers one day, hetero one-night stands mentioned, long fics have too many tags, matchmaker Noct is 18, minor Cor Leonis/female!OC, minor Gladiolus Amicitia/Nyx Ulric, past emotional abuse mentioned, single Gladio drinks too much; has too many one-night stands; and Nyx as best friend with benefits, there's comedy & drama because life has ups & downs, this is a Gladio/Iggy story, unhealthy eating habits, wingman Nyx is 30
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-13
Updated: 2021-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-06 14:40:03
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 22
Words: 231,599
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26440546
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SophiaHoppia/pseuds/SophiaHoppia
Summary: Gladio has finished re-reading one of his favorite books once again and is craving more. To his surprise, there is one single fanfiction about two side characters of said book. He gets engrossed in the story, only realizing after quite a while how the relationship of this material arts teacher and librarian resembles his relationship with Ignis. Or not-relationship because Ignis isn't interested in him or anyone.It takes him even longer to realize that the events happening in the story might be inspired by his real life. As if someone who knew him was writing the story...Read how Gladio and Ignis slowly realize their feelings for each other. Yet even once they do, it gets painfully aware that starting a relationship with someone so different from yourself isn't easy.---If you don't know FFXV:Since the story takes place before the game, you don't necessarily need to know it to understand it.Watching this super short FFXV Brotherhood Anime on YouTube (and maybe the FFXV Kingsglaive movie to get to know Nyx) should be more than enough.
Relationships: Clarus Amicitia/Regis Lucis Caelum, Gladiolus Amicitia/Ignis Scientia, Gladiolus Amicitia/Ignis Scientia/Nyx Ulric, Prompto Argentum/Noctis Lucis Caelum
Comments: 45
Kudos: 116





	1. Opposites

**Author's Note:**

> This idea came out of nowhere, but I loved it, so I had to write this fanfic! 
> 
> Some chapters are kinda short, some chapters are a bit long. But there is a reason for it ^-^
> 
> Updates every Sunday!
> 
> Layout of Nyx's room: [click here](https://twitter.com/SophiaHoppia/status/1313172523455049733)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This whole fanfiction was supposed to be short, but I'm at 34k words / 7 chapters now, and I'm not finished.

"I've got a numerical sequence you haven't heard of yet," Gladio spoke seductively, a wide smirk on his face as he pulled out a piece of paper.

The guy in front of him flinched in surprise, looking left and right as if he couldn't believe that _Gladiolus Amicitia_ had just addressed _him_.

"Interested?" the shield of the prince of Lucis asked, moving his hand to wave the small folded piece of paper in front of the accountant's face.

"Yes?" the black-haired man more asked than confirmed, his hand slowly reaching out. "Would you be so kind as to share it with me?"

An amused grin found its way to Gladio's lips, glad that his intuition hadn't misled him: this guy was as prim and proper as Ignis. Even their way of talking was similar.

"Of course, I have written it down just for you," he returned alluringly, handing the paper to the flustered man.

The accountant took the piece of paper, unfolded it, and Gladio saw the exact moment the other realized that he had just been given a phone number.

Leaning forward, Gladio whispered right into his ear: "I trust you to use it wisely, but you may only use it _once_."

Moving back again, he winked, causing the accountant to blush up to the tips of his ears.

With a smug and triumphant smile on his face, Gladio turned around. Walking along the marble floor of the Citadel's hallway, he acted as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened just now. And, let's be real, nothing _had_ happened yet. But hopefully, it would soon enough. Gladio had noticed the accountant checking him out for quite some time now. And while the guy seemed dull and reserved, his prim and proper attitude reminded him of Ignis.

And everything that reminded him of Ignis was a must-have. Since he couldn't get the advisor, he had to take everyone else he could. While many people thought that he flirted and slept with everyone, Gladio chose his partners wisely. He was always trying to get from other people what he couldn't get from Ignis. So he hooked up with people with green eyes - no matter if men or women. He flirted with prim and proper people, wearing fancy clothes and dress shirts. He seduced perfectionists, helped workaholics relaxing, and got it on with cooks.

While in reality, the one he longed to fuck was Ignis Scientia.

If Gladio was honest with himself, he was a bit frustrated. He hadn't seen the advisor in over a week since the man had been even busier than usual. Maybe that was why Gladio was flirting with even more people than usual. Compensation and all that.

Perhaps it was a good thing that he had a training session with Noctis scheduled next. A workout always helped him to free his head a bit.

Since the weather was nice today, Gladio had already texted the prince to meet him at the outside training grounds. The halls got way too sticky in the afternoon. He wanted to _work up_ a sweat, not feel like going to the sauna.

After changing into his training clothes -simple black shorts and a black muscle shirt- he went outside.

"You're late," a voice he would recognize among thousands of others stated objectively.

"Not _your_ problem," Gladio answered with a growl. As his gaze drifted to the right, he spotted Ignis leaning against a tree. Holding one arm in front of his chest, he had his elbow propped up on it, phone in hand. This guy hadn't even looked at him while he complained.

"It is in the interest of all of us that his highness receives enough proper combat training," Ignis stated while typing something on his phone.

"What are you doing here anyway?" It wasn't often that the advisor came to observe their training sessions. Although Gladio felt more ignored than watched.

"I've got an appointment with Noct afterwards. Waiting here while replying to emails was the most efficient way to use time," the other explained, and Gladio at least knew why the man was so engrossed in his phone.

"Can we start training now, or should I leave you two alone so you can keep bickering with each other for an hour?" Noctis asked with a sigh yet serious about his intention of skipping training.

"Just try to land a hit on me. I'm waiting," Gladio dared his charge, waving him over with bare hands.

As always, Noct was easy to taunt, anger making him careless. As the prince ran towards him, straight forward and utterly predictable, Gladio summoned his shield as late as possible. The prince's eyes widened in surprise, but it was too late for him to stop, running right into the metal.

With a loud _thump_ , Noctis got knocked back, landing on his ass.

"It only counts when you hit me, not my shield," Gladio reminded his charge only to tease him more - successfully.

The young man swung his wooden training sword upwards, but Gladio simply took a step back, mockingly pulling up an eyebrow.

Until a while ago, Gladio had mostly used his broadsword in training and battle. But his father had, rightfully, reminded him that it was only beneficial to be proficient with at least two different weapons. And what would be more fitting for an Amicitia, the sworn protector of the royal family, than a shield?

Sure, he used it more for defense than for attack, but it came in handy.

After a while, Gladio had gotten used to Noct's attack pattern, allowing him to sneak a few glances at the advisor every now and then.

As always, the elegant man was wearing a black vest over a white dress shirt. Tight black trousers completed the outfit. That accountant guy earlier had been dressed similarly, but Ignis just wore it better.

Gladio took a step to the left, avoiding Noct's offensive move.

Unfortunately, the advisor was still staring at his phone. Therefore, his sharp, green eyes were turned down and out of Gladio's field of vision. Ignis frowned at his phone for only a second before his usual stoic mask was set back on his face.

In a flash, Gladio exchanged his shield for his broadsword. Blocking Noct's attack, he pushed him back with one firm strike. At least the prince had learned how to roll on the ground to cushion the blow by now. Changing back to his shield, Gladio smirked. Noct was furious.

A glance to the sidelines granted him with the rare sight of Ignis chewing on his bottom lip in concentration. Licking his lips, Gladio wished _he_ could chew on the advisor's bottom lip.

Without looking, the shield took two steps to the right, letting Noct's attack come to nothing.

His whole attention was on Ignis as the man took a bottle of water out of his bag, unscrewed the cap, and took a few sips, Adam's apple bobbing with every pull at the bottle.

Walking a few steps closer towards the sexy display helped him to evade the prince's tackle.

Diligent as no one else, Ignis had kept checking his phone even while sipping. He had just finished drinking, his lips about to leave the bottle, as he frowned at something on his phone again. Stopping his movements, Ignis let his lips rest on the head of the bottle. Filigree, rosy lips, subconsciously sucking on the rim. A familiar warmth filled his body, as he wished the advisor's mouth wasn't wrapped around the head of this water bottle but instead around the head of Gladio's-

It was only thanks to his reflexes that he managed to avoid Noct's next incoming strike. Taking a step to the side, he used his shield to push the prince down to the grass.

"Shit, you provoked me again," the prince cursed. "I really thought you weren't paying attention this time."  
"Language, Noct," Ignis reprimanded from the sidelines, his lips leaving the bottle. The shield clicked his tongue. _What a pity._  
"Trying to get your enemy by surprise is good, but remember they could be faking their inattention," Gladio explained to his charge. It was a good thing the prince didn't know that he had been distracted for real.

For the rest of the training session, Gladio's eyes kept going back to these thin, sinful lips of Ignis, but he won against Noctis nonetheless.

The prince groaned in frustration, but before he could get too depressed about it, Ignis had already urged him to go take a shower and change his clothes. The advisor would never let them be late for their next appointment.

Gladio had tried to make use of this rare short moment alone with the advisor to talk to him, but the other was still busy working on his phone. Flirting and talking to strangers came as easy as breathing to Gladio. But when Ignis was involved, he just didn't know how to approach him best. So he kept quiet instead.

After a while, Ignis noticed him standing there, pulling up an eyebrow in question. Gladio simply waved him goodbye and left to take a shower as well.

To drown his frustration, Gladio had agreed to accompany Nyx tonight. Together with two more friends, they went to a bar that had only opened up recently. Even though they often tried new places, they usually went back to the bar of a good friend the next time. They liked it, but sometimes they needed to check out a new place - since that also meant meeting new people.

Hanging out with Nyx was always easy. While the other man was almost a decade older than Gladio, he treated him as an equal. The older glaive was as smug as people could be, but he had every right to be so. He was just as popular as Gladio, if not even more, and the shield was proud to call someone like him his best friend. A friend _with benefits,_ to be precise. Four years ago, they had become friends, and a while later, they had added this new layer to their relationship. 

"I don't know about you, but I'm in the mood for beer," one of the other glaives, Libertus, exclaimed. He was Nyx's best friend and the only straight person in their little circle of friends.  
"Whiskey," Crowe, the only female glaive at the table tonight, announced.  
"I'm in the mood for _women_ ," Nyx replied with a smirk, making Crowe laugh out loudly. While she wasn't as adventurous and needy as Gladio and Nyx, she was far from innocent either. The woman had sex appeal and didn't shy away from using to get who she wanted whenever she wanted. 

"I can ask the bartender if they have any on the menu, but I doubt that _you_ need to order some to get some," Libertus answered with a sigh, his gaze turning to Gladio, awaiting his order.

"Thin lips," the shield mumbled, already taking a look around the bar, searching.  
"So, three beers and one whiskey," Libertus mumbled with a roll of his eyes, walking over to the bar counter to place their order.

"That's oddly specific, eagle boy," Nyx mentioned, and Gladio snorted at the endearing nickname. Ever since the eagle tattoo on his torso had been finished, the glaive called him by that name. "But I can guess where that's coming from," the glaive added with a wink.

Nyx was the only one who knew about Gladio's crush on Ignis.

"Oh, found one," the glaive said, his gaze following after a blonde woman who had passed by their table. Libertus had only just come back with their drinks when Nyx grabbed two beers and chased after the lady.

"Hey!" Libertus exclaimed as Nyx snatched away his drink, but the other glaive was already gone. They all saw how he talked to the girl, gave her a beer, making her chuckle and blush.

"Well, someone's in a hurry tonight," Crowe mentioned with a laugh before taking a sip from her whiskey.

"I'll go get another," Gladio offered, feeling sorry for Libertus. Making the most of his walk towards the counter, he checked out the other guests, but no one got these perfectly formed lips like Ignis.

Frustrated, Gladio ordered a whiskey instead of a beer. If he didn't get laid tonight, he'd at least have his fun drinking. Even though he knew that alcohol couldn't quell his desires, he always got back to it as an expedient to forget them at least for one night.

As his alarm went off early on Saturday morning, he regretted his choices for only a short moment. He had promised his father and sister to go on a one-night camping and fishing trip together with Regis and Noctis.

It wasn't often that the king managed to take a whole weekend off, and Gladio knew that the prince had been looking forward to it since quite a while ago. The boy missed his father more than he admitted, and he had always loved fishing.

Since Clarus volunteered to drive, Gladio intended to use the time in the backseat of the car to catch up on a bit of sleep.

At least, that had been the plan, but Iris, sitting between him and a very sleepy prince, had kept them awake all the time, too excited about that little trip of the two families.

Noct looked just as tired as Gladio felt, but neither of the men could be angry when faced with Iris's happy laughs.

Fortunately, his little sister was happy to spend some time with their father once they had arrived. Therefore, Gladio could finally take a nap while the Caelums were busy fishing.

Once he had caught up on sleep, it had been a fun weekend, and before he knew what was happening, it was already Sunday evening again.

At home, he didn't grab a book to read but opened a popular fanfiction website instead.

Last week, Gladio had finished re-reading one of his favorite books: _Love knows no bounds_ by Bella Posteritas.

The book was already twenty years old, and he had read it at least twenty times. It was a story about Meridies, the son of a wealthy company owner, who was supposed to marry the daughter of another well-off company owner. But, of course, he lost his heart to his best friend Sol instead - his _male_ best friend. The story was a constant up and down, but in the end, the son eloped with his best friend. Clichéd, yet Gladio still loved it.

As always, when he had finished reading or re-reading, a good book, he craved _more_. He hadn't expected there to be any fanfiction about such an old book by a rather unknown author at that, but he had checked nonetheless.

To his surprise, there was one single fanfiction to _Love knows no bounds_. What he had expected even less was the pairing of the story. It wasn't about Meridies and Sol, no. It was about his material arts teacher Aegis and the librarian Liber, who had acted as Meridies' private literature teacher. Those two had met at the main character's house from time to time or at the library when Aegis had picked up some books about advanced material arts techniques and healthy diets. The story was taking place at the time when Meridies had already fallen in love with Sol but was still living at home, studying to take over his father's company one day.

Gladio had to admit that he had felt a certain tension between these two characters in the book, so he had started to read the fanfiction. It wasn't completed yet, but it was updated regularly. A new, short chapter every Sunday.

Even though it had Aegis and Liber tagged as a pairing, they weren't together yet even after ten chapters. Talk about a slow burn. The fanfiction was written from the librarian's point of view, and the guy was helplessly in love with Aegis. The problem was that Aegis, true to his character from the original book, was such a player, picking up men and women alike only to drop them again after one night. Liber, however, was prim and proper, dreaming about his one true love.

The first few chapters had been used to describe how Liber slowly but surely realized and accepted his feelings for Aegis. The librarian hated himself for falling for such a playboy, but he couldn't fight off these emotions either. Reading how his heart pined for the popular man while his mind told him that it would never work out was bitter-sweet.

Gladio had to admit that he loved this story almost even more than the original book. But he had always been fond of opposites attracting each other.

And that had nothing to do with _his_ attraction to Ignis, who sometimes was the polar opposite of himself.

A frustrated groan left Gladio as he remembered the advisor's reprimand about being late on Friday. To his chagrin, they ended up fighting or bickering more often lately. It wasn't even his intention. If he had a say, he would fulfill Iggy's every wish.

But everything Ignis wished for was to be left alone. He had made that clear enough more than once.

A sigh left the shield. His love life was too frustrating, so he read about the frustrating love life of fictional characters. This morning, he had caught up with the chapters that had been uploaded so far. But as he had reloaded the page just now, he saw that chapter 11 had been added an hour ago.

_Liber had counted the time since he had last seen Aegis: 9 days, 5 hours, and 32 minutes._   
_The librarian sighed. He should concentrate on his work, which consisted of putting the new books on the correct shelves. It was an easy, mundane task for a diligent worker like himself, leaving him with enough time to remember his last encounter with Aegis instead._

_They had met shortly at Meridies' house, nine days ago. The young student hadn't been able to concentrate on his literature lesson, his thoughts elsewhere all the time. That had left Liber with no choice but to extend their lesson until they had covered all the necessary topics for this day._

_Thereby, Meridies was late to his material arts lesson. Aegis had already arrived at the young man's home and started training on his own in the garden. Right in front of the window that lay in Liber's direct view._

_And what a view it had been._

_Thanks to the hot temperatures of summer, Aegis had forsaken his shirt, wearing nothing but a pair of black trousers. His upper body was tanned and a nice contrast to his silver hair. By now, Liber was the one who had difficulties concentrating on their literature lesson, as he observed the muscular man in front of their window. Although he had made sure that their eyes never met._

_Aegis was practicing his kicks and punches against an invisible opponent, and Liber relished to watch this display of strength. The muscles of his upper body tensed and stretched with every movement. The librarian subconsciously licked his lips._

_What wouldn't he give to be held by these strong arms?_

_Yet, he wasn't anywhere near this strong man he sought to be with. The only thing that was within his reach was an endless amount of books. And maybe that was for the better._

_His heart would break if Aegis dropped him after one shared night as the fighter had done with all the others._

_Not that Liber had any hope to ever get intimate with Aegis anyway. After all, he was a realist. A man like Aegis with such charm, charisma, and a body that even rivaled the sinful attractiveness of the Infernian, would never even look at a mere plain librarian like Liber. At least not in_ that _way._

A deep sigh left Gladio as he lay his phone down on the nightstand. It hurt to see how much Liber loved Aegis yet didn't dare to make a move. The shield hoped with all his heart that Liber and Aegis would end up together soon. At least, there was hope for them. Liber obviously desired a relationship, while the other man at least was interested in _physical_ relationships. Maybe even in a _romantic_ relationship once he fell in love.

Whereas Gladio's hope for a fulfilled love life was non-existent.

His feelings for Ignis hadn't faded over the years. Instead, they had only grown stronger. Yet, the advisor had never shown any interest in love, sex, or anything between. By now, Gladio was sure that Ignis was aromantic and asexual.

Talk about polar opposites.

Another sigh left the shield as he tossed and turned in bed. His body was tired, his mind and heart racing. Sometimes he wished he could get rid of these feelings if there wasn't any hope of them getting reciprocated anyway. But of course, that wasn't how love worked.

He could only hope his heart would endure this unfulfilled desire without breaking one day. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you've enjoyed reading! Feel free to drop a comment, reading your thoughts and impressions keeps me going ♥
> 
> I'm using Twitter on a daily basis, so if you're ever interested in any updates, you know where to look!  
> [Check out my Profile to find me on Tumblr or Twitter!](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SophiaHoppia/profile)
> 
> [Or simply check out my other fanfictions!](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SophiaHoppia/works)


	2. A weekend to forget

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This whole fanfiction was supposed to be short, but I'm at 34k words / 7 chapters now, and I'm not finished.

"So this chick kept staring at me _for hours_ , but she didn't come over," Gladio recounted, leaning back, his arms on the soft backrest of Noct's ample couch.

"Did you go to her?" Prompto asked excitedly, turned around so that he was facing Gladio, the video game Noctis was playing already forgotten.

A wide grin appeared on the shield's face. "Sure. I walked over, slamming my hands against the wall right and left of the lady. Then, I leaned down to whisper into her ear: _Your place or mine?_ "

Prompto screeched, and Noct only huffed in disbelief.  
"And then, and then?" the blond asked, his eyes wide and full of sparkles.  
"Then, we went over to her place, and I did the only right thing that I could do after that evening."  
"What? What?" Prompto wanted to know and inched closer.  
"I took," Gladio described, adding a dramatic pause, "her right against the wall of her living room."  
"No way!" Prompto exclaimed, his cheeks flaring up, and Noctis had given up on his game to stare at Gladio instead.  
"All the way," the shield confirmed with a smirk.

"Pitiful," Ignis said with a snort, and Gladio only now realized the man had left the kitchen to set the table.  
"What was that?" he asked grumpily.  
"Nothing," the advisor replied, adjusting his glasses.  
"Got a problem?" the shield inquired, barely holding back a growl.  
"With the fact that you need to trap and take strangers against walls to prove your manliness and raw strength? No." Ignis adjusted his glasses.  
"Jealous?" Gladio asked with a grin, but the icy stare he received, made his facial features drop.

At first, the atmosphere had been a bit weird during dinner. Yet Prompto hadn't stopped asking about Gladio's latest one-night stands, so he hadn't stopped talking about them.

As always, Noctis had tried to appear disinterested. But the shield knew when his charge was listening and when not. And Noct _had_ been listening to _everything_ he had said.

Ignis, however, hadn't added a single word to the conversation, not even sparing Gladio a glance. It hurt, but it was to be expected. The advisor had never been fond of his little _adventures_.

After dinner, the tactician had excused himself and gone home early, while the others had spent the night gaming.

When he arrived home, Gladio threw himself at his bed after taking a quick shower. This week had been busy as hell. Usually, he wouldn't spend his Friday night at Noct's, but he had gone clubbing with Nyx and the guys yesterday already. And while they had had a fun night -especially him after picking up this chick- he had to admit that he was tired today.

On Saturday morning, Gladio awoke to the incoming chat message of an unknown number. As it turned out, it was from that new accountant he had flirted with last week. The shield had given him his number since his fancy clothes, proper attitude, and slicked-back hair had reminded him of Ignis.

By now, he had given up on ever hearing from this guy again, but apparently, Numerus had only been shy.

Looking forward to a spontaneous date, Gladio dressed up. Without wasting another second, he went into town, meeting the guy for lunch.

Going out was the best decision he had made this week. What better way than going on a date, was there to forget about his unrequited crush on Ignis?

Going on a date with Numerus was the worst decision he had made this week.

Right now, he didn't even remember why. But he knew that it had been the right decision to go drinking with Nyx and his buddies tonight to forget about his day and everything else.

Sunday came with a hangover and a massive headache that only worsened when he spent the whole day baking cookies with his lovely _but loud_ little sister.

Although Iris was making a mess of the kitchen, Gladio was only standing idly by since he knew nothing about baking, and good old Jared was the one who actually baked the cookies for them.

Despite all the pain in his head, it was still a nice day, spent with his cheerful sister and their kind butler, who was practically a part of the family after all these years.

In the evening, he eagerly reloaded the page of his new, favorite fanfiction. Seeing that chapter 12 had already been uploaded today made him happy. He made himself comfortable on the couch, putting his feet up on the coffee table -his father wasn't home, so he couldn't complain- a beer in his left hand, his phone in his right hand.

_Liber was running out of ideas on how to keep his mind from thinking about Aegis. By now, he had re-read all of his favorite books, but it was no use._  
_When he read romance stories, he immediately imagined him and Aegis as main characters instead._  
_When he read mystery novels, he imagined impressing Aegis with his wits._  
_When he read horror stories, he wished for Aegis to be there to protect him._

_In his despair, he started to rearrange all the books about different nutrition and diets. Over time, the library had turned more and more into a store, selling new magazines and books while still providing older books to lend. "We have to keep up with the times," their owner had said._

_At first, Liber hadn't been fond of that. That had been until he realized that one of these magazines was about athletic sports, and therefore often bought by Aegis. The librarian noticed that he sought out work near the magazine stand whenever a new issue arrived. After all, it would be sad to waste the opportunity to stand next to this attractive man, even if it was only for a few fleeting seconds._

_Today, two long weeks of waiting had been over, and the newest issue had arrived. Liber had already put it on display first thing in the morning, watching the stand like a hawk all the time. Even now, while he was rearranging the diet books. He wouldn't even have left the magazine stand if his coworker hadn't eyed him so suspiciously. Serva was a clever woman. He couldn't be careless around her if he wished for his feelings to stay secret._

_Taking a deep breath, he focused on putting the books on the shelf in the correct order. He had no idea when Aegis would come -_ if _he even came today. He couldn't spend his whole day watching the magazine stand._

_Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed movements at the stand. In a flash, he turned around. Unfortunately, it was only a blonde student. With a content smile, she was browsing through a magazine about the latest bands and solo singers._

_A loud female giggle coming from the left broke the silence of the library. Frowning, Liber left the corridor to reprimand whoever couldn't follow the rules, but his feet stopped as his eyes spotted the man of his wishful dreams and sinful nightmares alike:_ Aegis _._

_The woman was standing in front of the shelf with the erotic literature. Yet even though there was a book in her hands, she wasn't giggling about anything she had read. Instead, her gaze was fixed on Aegis._

_The man was wearing the sexiest smirk ever seen by mankind as he walked over towards the girl. When he reached her, he slammed his hands against the bookshelf, right and left of the woman's head, disturbing the silence in the library once again. The old shelf shook, some dust falling from the top that no one ever cleaned._

_Her giggling subsided as her eyes widened, her cheeks turning red. Aegis leaned down, whispering something into her ear, and she laughed again._

_Liber felt sick. Did Aegis have to pick up girls even at the library now? This had always been his safe space, where he had a rare moment to wallow in the illusion that Aegis wasn't such an unfaithful flirt._

_In an instant, the woman put the book back to the shelf and left the library together with Aegis._

_Suddenly, Liber had an urge to put the newest crime thriller books on the shelves before doing anything else._

By the time Gladio had finished reading, he had finished his bottle of beer as well, a bitter taste left inside his mouth. Checking the tags once again, he confirmed that this was, indeed, tagged as an _Aegis/Liber_ fanfiction. He didn't know the author, but he trusted them to turn this slow-burn story into something more eventually.

He decided to leave a small comment on the new chapter.

ShieldOfTheChosenOne:  
_Thx for the new chapter! Nice to see someone's writing about this rare pair. I just hope that something good will happen to Liber soon._

Putting down his phone, Gladio wanted to take another sip from his beer, only now remembering that it was already empty. Pondering to get another one, he decided to be reasonable for once. He had been hung-over mere hours ago. Starting tomorrow, he would have a very stressful week outside the walls. While he was always looking forward to some exercise and spending time with nature, he already missed Ignis.

Not that they saw each other often with their busy schedules. But even walking past each other in the Citadel, a short nod as a greeting always lighted up Gladio's day. Sometimes they even met at the training grounds. Whenever that happened, Gladio stayed as long as Ignis to watch the other man working out.

He knew full well that it wasn't decent to ogle his coworker and somehow-friend like that, but there was nothing he could do about it. His hormones were more assertive than his brain.

Years ago, when he had first noticed how attractive Ignis was, Gladio had thought it was nothing but physical attraction. Yet, no matter how many other men and women he got physical with, his body never stopped desiring to touch Ignis.

If it had only been that, he might have tried to get a one-night stand with the advisor - even though he was sure the man would reject him. But Gladio soon had to admit to himself that it wasn't only physical attraction. It was love. He longed to be around Ignis all the time, to watch him, to make him laugh, to protect. Not that someone as perfect as Ignis would even need protection. The man could hold his ground in any kind of battle. Sometimes Gladio wondered how the other even manage to train his battle skills while doing paperwork, attending meetings, and looking after their prince. While Gladio wished to spend more time with the advisor, he didn't know if the man had even a few minutes to spare with his busy schedule.

There even was a time when he had been jealous of Noctis. After all, the prince was always the center of Ignis's attention. Whereas Gladio only was at the receiving end of the advisor's icy stares and murderous glances.

Maybe Gladio was just like Liber - forever pining for a man he'd never be with. Was that why he liked this fanfiction so much? Because he could identify with the main character's feelings of desire and frustration?

Another sigh tumbled from his lips as he decided to go to bed before his mood turned too negative. He knew how bad it could get once he lost himself in his own thoughts. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you've enjoyed reading! Feel free to drop a comment, reading your thoughts and impressions keeps me going ♥
> 
> I'm using Twitter on a daily basis, so if you're ever interested in any updates, you know where to look!  
> [Check out my Profile to find me on Tumblr or Twitter!](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SophiaHoppia/profile)
> 
> [Or simply check out my other fanfictions!](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SophiaHoppia/works)


	3. Frustration

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last short chapter before this fanfic evolved beyond my expectations XD'
> 
> (I'm currently writing chapter 8. There will be at least 10 chapters (probably even more))

On Monday, Gladio groaned as his alarm went off even earlier than usual. He was in for a week of special training under Cor outside the walls of Insomnia.

It was an honor only to a few select members of the Crownsguard. But right now, Gladio wanted nothing more than to sleep. Knowing that being late and facing the Marshall's wrath would be worse than getting up on time, though, he sleepily grabbed his phone from the nightstand.

The bright light of the display hurt his tired eyes at first, but a small smile came to his lips as he noticed the author's reply to his comment.

Writer0509:  
 _Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment on this chapter. I, too, only wish for the best for Liber and Aegis._

Content with this information, Gladio rolled out of bed with new-found motivation. He had another chapter of his favorite fanfiction to look forward to if he got through this week.

Too exhausted for anything, the shield had, for once, declined Nyx's offer for drinks and fun.

Instead, Gladio had readily agreed to Noct's invitation to just hang out at home on Saturday after sleeping in. That didn't sound as exhausting as going out to a bar or club.

Somehow he had managed to drive over to his charge, his aching muscles acting up even as he only put his foot down on the accelerator. Usually, he didn't get muscle pain since his body was used to workouts and fights, but this week had been too much even for him.

So here he was, spending the afternoon on Noct's couch with chips and chocolate, not caring about a healthy diet. Prompto was here as well, as always eager to hear about Gladio's latest passionate adventures. 

Keen to share his experiences, Gladio slung an arm around the blond man's shoulders. Unfortunately, the only new story he had to tell was his date with Numerus last weekend. The guy who had literally picked up his phone to check the stock prices while Gladio had been giving him what would be the best blowjob this guy has ever had in his whole life.

Or _hasn't had_ since Gladio had left at exactly that moment.

Prompto had tears in his eyes from all the laughter, even falling from the couch in his laughing fit, and even Noctis couldn't hold back this time. It had been a frustrating experience for the shield, but at least he had a new funny story to tell from now on.

"I tell you, these office guys are the worst," he emphasized nonetheless, ranting out of pure frustration. "They all have a stick up their ass. Listen to my advice, and never try to hook up with them. They are boring anyway," Gladio huffed in annoyance while the boys still couldn't stop laughing.

"Did I miss something?" Ignis asked suddenly, stepping into the living room. The shield knew the advisor was coming over to cook for Noctis, but he hadn't even heard him unlocking the front door.  
"Nah, nothing," Gladio dismissed him, shooting Prompto a glare that told the blond he would regret saying even a single word. Noctis knew better than to enrage Gladio anyway lately since he knew he was getting it back threefold during their next training session.

The last thing the shield needed right now was Ignis laughing about him getting rejected. While, in truth, unbeknownst to him, the advisor was the one rejecting Gladio's feelings all the time.

"Don't you three have anything better to do than wasting your time lying around and eating unhealthy snacks on a sunny Saturday afternoon?" Ignis reprimanded them worse than any parent ever could, and Gladio rolled his eyes.

"You're just jealous," Gladio mumbled, once again talking without thinking first. _Shit, that had come out wrong_. "Feel free to join us," he added to save the situation, but the damage had already been done.

For a moment, it looked like Ignis was actually considering the offer, but then his gaze turned dark again as he gave Gladio the cold shoulder. Which he had earned this time, alright.

As Ignis walked towards the kitchen, Gladio couldn't help but watch how his ass cheeks moved with every step he took. Prompto soon followed after him, not unattractive, but not what Gladio wanted to see. "I'll help you, Iggy," the blond offered cheerfully.

"What's wrong with you two lately?" Noctis asked quietly enough so it wouldn't be heard in the kitchen. The prince turned his head to look at Gladio as they both continued to lay on different parts of the corner sofa.

"Don't know," Gladio mumbled since he didn't want to talk about that now. Especially not if Ignis might overhear them. Even though Prompto was loudly clattering with all kinds of kitchenware right now, Gladio would never underestimate the advisor's skill to listen in on conversations.

Noctis reached over from his side of the couch to pinch Gladio's upper arm, his expression stern. The shield sighed. It had to be bad if Noct was insisting on getting an explanation. While their charge was more attentive than most people gave him credit for, he usually only _observed_ but never _meddled_ with their business, trusting them to take care of it on their own.

"He's just getting under my skin, lately," he admitted quietly. It wasn't the whole truth but not a plain lie either. "We're just too different. That always leaves room for conflict."

"Or room to complement one another," the prince mentioned casually. "After all, opposites attract each other."

Gladio bit his lip. Now _that_ really wasn't something he wanted to discuss with Noct. At least not right now. Turning around to lie on his stomach, he propped his chin up on his elbows and ignored his tired muscles screaming in pain. His eyes started to sparkle as he spoke up to distract his prince from the actual topic.   
"Talking about opposites: Have I ever told you about this threesome I had? With the small short-haired blonde and the tall long-haired brunette?"

"Yes," the younger one said, rolling his eyes, "and I don't wanna hear it again."

And just like that, he had successfully dropped the topic.

During dinner, the room was filled with Prompto's cheerful talk about that new Chocobo documentary he had watched yesterday. Afterwards, Noctis invited Iggy to stay and play some video games with them, but the advisor humbly declined, saying he was already busy tonight.

Gladio only then realized that he had no idea what the advisor usually did on a Saturday evening or with any of his free time in general. He couldn't be cooking or studying all the time, could he?

After spending the rest of his Saturday on Noct's couch, Gladio was now spending his Sunday on the couch in his family's living room. Iris was climbing over his back a few times, jumping around and trying to get him up, but he had no energy left. He had picked up one of his favorite tragic love story books and didn't even mind shedding a few tears over it again.

For once, his father had joined them in the living room instead of sitting in his study. Although he was still busy reading reports most of the time.

"You're a mess, son," the older Amicitia mentioned in the evening once Iris had gone to bed.  
"Hmm," Gladio grumbled, his face pressed to the cushion beneath him as he was lying on his stomach, one arm hanging off from the couch, hand on the warm carpet covering the floor.

"So, what's the problem?" Clarus asked, the rustling of papers indicating that he had put down his reports. _Oh, great_. That meant there was no way Gladio could avoid this conversation.

"Meelimgs-" he mumbled into the cushion.  
"At least turn your head around, would you," his father suggested, yet his tone was assertive.  
"Feelings," he repeated after turning his head to the right, facing his father.

The older Amicitia pulled up an eyebrow in question, and Gladio only groaned.  
"Seems serious," the older one noted.  
"Uh-huh," the younger one confirmed.  
"So, what are you gonna do about it?"  
"Nothing."  
"Why?" Clarus frowned.  
"No chance," Gladio admitted.  
" _You_?" his father huffed. "If rumors are to be believed, there almost isn't anyone around your age who wouldn't have you. Or already _had_ you."

Gladio turned his head back around to groan into the cushion. Now, _this_ wasn't a conversation he wanted to have with his dad. While he didn't care anymore how people spoke about him and his one-night stand, he had no urge to talk about that with his father. 

"Make a move or stop whining, son," Clarus added, and while it sounded hard, Gladio knew his father only wished for his best. "It can't go on like this."

He knew his dad had a point, but there wasn't anything he could do. Ignis would never reciprocate his feelings, so there was no use in confessing and further damaging their fragile friendship.

Were they even friends? Sure, Ignis didn't outright hate him, but the advisor was a polite person overall. Maybe he was only bearing with Gladio since they were both part of Noctis's personal guard. Rationally, it was better if they got along, no matter if they emotionally liked each other or not. 

He groaned again. The thought that Ignis wouldn't even talk to him if he didn't have to do so _hurt_.

"Son," his father reprimanded.

Gladio took a deep breath before he got up. "Good night, dad," he said before leaving the living room.  
"Good night, Gladiolus," Clarus said, looking after Gladio with an expression the younger one couldn't quite interpret. But he wasn't even in the mood to try right now.

After getting ready for bed, Gladio remembered that it was Sunday. And that meant it was time for a new fanfiction chapter. Reloading his browser app, he found chapter 13. Eagerly, he started to read.

_For once, Liber didn't count the time since he had last seen Aegis. For the simple reason that he didn't_ want _to remember the last time, he had seen the man. While he had to admit that the display he had witnessed had caused him to dream about him being in this woman's position, he still resented Aegis for doing this. Inside the library of all places. Right in front of Liber's eyes. This was a place to pick up books and not to pick up girls._

_With more force than necessary, Liber put the new books on the shelves. Aegis hadn't come back these last three days to get the newest issue of the magazine he usually read. But Liber didn't wish to see him anyway, and he didn't need to remember that it had been_ three days _either._

_Just as he turned around to gather the next stack of books, his gaze fell on the magazine stand where no one else but Aegis himself was picking up the newest issue, which was three days old by now._

_His coworker Serva was greeting him, even_ winking _as Aegis looked up. But the man only nodded at her shortly before turning around and walking over to the checkout instead. A female student, who had witnessed the exchange, threw a consoling smile at Serva._

_Liber was confused at first before realization hit him. Of course, a popular man like Aegis, who could have everyone, wouldn't be interested in any boring librarian. That was the bitter truth._

_As if to prove his theory, Aegis talked up two girls. They were in the queue of the checkout with him. Wearing skirts that were too short and heels that were too high for the librarian's liking, they bought the newest fashion magazines._

_Even though it hurt, Liber couldn't stop staring at the display._

_Aegis left the library today, not only with one but two women in his strong arms._

_And Liber stayed behind._

_Alone._

Gladio frowned since the story was getting darker and darker. He could almost feel Liber's disappointment by now. Knowing that the man of your dreams was out of your reach hurt, Gladio could emphasize that too well. After all, he was just like Liber: forever longing for a man who didn't even look at him. It was frustrating. But basically, this chapter didn't differ much from the last. Aegis was picking up girls at the library, and Liber was mad about it. It was unusual for the story to have such repetitive chapters.

Hoping that it wouldn't go on like this, but that either Liber or Aegis would finally make a move, Gladio remembered his father's words. 

_"It can't go on like this."_

A desperate chuckle left him.  
Who was he to blame fictional characters if he wasn't doing any better in real life? He and Ignis were drifting further apart each day, and it wasn't doing him any good. He had to get his shit together and look for an opportunity to... to _what_? He didn't know yet, but he would try.

Lost in his thoughts, he forgot to leave a comment before falling asleep.


	4. The missing link

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my dears ^-^  
> This fanfic will have 15 chapters, I've got it all planned!
> 
> Currently, I'm at the end of chapter 8 and at 50k words.  
> Yes. 50k.  
> I have no idea how this got so long after these super short first chapters XD'
> 
> I hope, I can keep up the weekly updates!

Gladio had done his best to start the week open-minded and optimistically. Getting rid of his feelings for Ignis or getting closer to the man was his main objective. Secretly he hoped for the second option. And honestly, he had tried to get rid of his feelings so many times, but it had never worked. So he would do everything to get closer to him instead. 

Although he had no idea how to achieve this goal, he didn't fret since he'd always acted on instinct. If an opportunity arose, he'd just jump at it. 

Yet on Monday, he didn't see Ignis at all. There wasn't much he could do if he didn't even meet the man of his desire.

On Tuesday, they passed by each other in the Citadel, but the advisor discussed something with one of the more influential councilmen. That left Gladio with nothing more than a short, polite nod. At least he had managed to catch a glimpse at the advisor. As always, his hair was flat on his head, bangs covering up his forehead. It was the same hairstyle he had been wearing for years now. 

On the one hand, Gladio wished Ignis would come out of his shell for once and try a more daring hairstyle. But on the other hand, he feared that if Ignis got any sexier than he already was, he wouldn't be able to take it anymore. He was already madly in love, craving after a man that was out of his reach.

Who was _within_ his reach was the new maid named Domicella. Something about her piercing gaze had him drawn to her. Yet as if the gods were to mock him, the advisor walked past him at the worst timing possible. It was Wednesday afternoon, and Gladio was leaning against the wall in the hallway. Just as he invited Domicella out for coffee, he spotted the person he truly desired.

Needless to say that the tactician didn't even look at him. But Domicella's long blonde hair and her beautiful green eyes had been too captivating to ignore. He had to take what he could get if he didn't want to end up alone.

The next day, Gladio could have sworn that he had spotted Ignis quite a few times in the Citadel. Although whenever he turned the corner in one of the many hallways, Ignis had vanished. Either Gladio was starting to hallucinate, or the advisor was avoiding him on purpose. Both options sounded worrisome.

On Friday, Gladio was grumpy and had given up. At least, he had been looking forward to an afternoon date with Domicella, but she had canceled on him last minute. Not sure if she was chickening out of the date or if something important had come up, he suggested meeting another time. She agreed, so Gladio would wait for her to name another day.

Quickly, he sent a text to Nyx asking if he was in for a night out, but the glaive declined since he had a date. _That lucky bastard._

It was a bit disappointing since Nyx had already canceled on him yesterday. Usually, they hang out together on Thursday nights, but he granted his best friend some fun.

Not in the mood to go out alone or with anyone else, Gladio drove to Noct's apartment. Earlier this week, the prince had asked him to come to hang out tonight. At the time, Gladio had declined because of his plans with Domicella, but that was a different story now. 

Checking his watch, he realized he was a bit early now that his plans had changed. Maybe the prince wasn't even home yet. Ringing the bell nonetheless, Gladio waited at the front door. He did have a spare key, but -knowing full well that Noctis was at an age when he valued his privacy- he only used it for emergencies.

It didn't take long until the door got opened from the inside.  
"Noct said you wouldn't come today," the advisor said matter-of-factly, pulling up one of his filigree eyebrows in this freakingly sexy way only he managed to pull off.  
"It's nice to see you as well, Iggy," Gladio retorted, holding back the urge to roll his eyes. Of course, he would run into him now of all times. "Gonna let me in or not?"  
"Pardon me," he responded, politely stepping to the side so Gladio could enter the flat. "I was just surprised."

"Didn't expect _you_ to be here either," the shield mumbled while he cursed his bad mood. What was he even mad about? Hadn't he waited for an opportunity all week? Well, here it was. Maybe he should try to grasp it and make the best out of it instead of being grumpy and pessimistic. 

"My afternoon meeting with the minister of finance got rescheduled to Monday morning," the advisor explained as he walked to the living room.

Taking off his shoes, Gladio left them lying in the entranceway. Next to them, Ignis's shoes stood, neatly adjusted. While the advisor wore slippers inside the apartment, the shield simply walked around in his socks. 

Sometimes he was impressed by how much people could differ in almost every aspect. People always said that opposites attracted each other. But no one ever told him how to get closer to someone he didn't share _any_ interests with. Sure, they shared a connection since they both worked for the Crown, but _work_ wasn't really a topic he wanted to talk about when trying to get closer to someone. 

"No way!" Gladio exclaimed suddenly as his eyes fell on the book lying on the dining table next to Ignis's laptop. " _You're_ reading _Love knows no bounds_?"  
"Oh," Ignis's eyes widened shortly in surprise as he spoke up. "Actually, I have already finished reading it."

"I had no idea you're reading novels as well!" the shield exclaimed with a sort of enthusiasm usually only known from Prompto.  
"It is challenging to find time to read with my busy schedule, but yes, indeed. I do enjoy reading novels from time to time," the advisor admitted.

"Why did you never tell me?" Gladio wanted to know, still standing next to the dining table, too excited to sit down.  
"I didn't know it was a secret that I enjoy reading," the advisor stated matter-of-factly. Quickly, he closed his laptop. "Want something to drink as well?"

"Oh, yes, anything's fine," the shield responded while Ignis was already walking to the refrigerator.

Feeling a bit lost as he stood there, Gladio pondered where to sit down. Usually, he would prefer the couch, but somehow he had a feeling that Ignis would be more comfortable sitting at the table.

Facing the living room, he pulled back the upholstered chair to sit down, fighting against the urge to put his feet up on the brilliant marble table.

To his surprise, Ignis came back with a can of Ebony coffee and a can of beer. "Ah, thanks, man! You know what I like."

"Of course," a short little snort left the advisor as he sat down at the dining table as well. " _I_ am attentive enough to know what the people around me treasure."

If it weren't for the tiny hint of a playful smirk on the advisor's beautiful face, Gladio would have felt offended. "Heh. Alright, I apologize for not knowing," he said sincerely, holding up his hands in a placating gesture. And the puzzled look on Ignis's face was so worth it.

"That's quite alright, don't worry about it," the other returned, smiling before he took a sip of his coffee.

Glad they weren't fighting for once, Gladio seized the opportunity.  
"So, did you like the story?" he asked, pointing towards the book.

"I have to admit that I quite enjoyed it, yes," Ignis revealed, fondly running his hand over the book's cover. "There is something romantic about leaving your predetermined path and eloping with your one true love."

Gladio was glad he hadn't been holding his can of beer right now, or otherwise, he might have dropped it just like his jaw.

"You don't know me at all, do you?" Ignis spoke more to himself, averting his eyes, his voice tinged with sad realization.

"Not as good as I thought, at least," the shield admitted. "But you gotta agree that it's difficult to know you if you only ever join us for dinner and never stay to hang out."

"Fair point."

"You know, whenever I finish a book, I wonder how the story could continue," Gladio mentioned, stirring back to a safer topic. "You think Meridies and Sol got a happy life after eloping?"

"I'm sure of it," the advisor affirmed. "They are both clever. It shouldn't be a problem for them to settle in another town and build up a new life, unbound by duties."

"Yeah, that's what I thought as well," the shield grinned, taking another sip of his beer. "Although Meridies' dad must be furious for losing his successor like that."

"Well, he and his wife aren't too old to get another child or to adopt anyone. Although I do hope that he has learned from this and won't _force_ anyone to take over the company," the advisor stated with a sigh.

"Someone has to take over once he retires."

"Obviously. But it doesn't have to be a relative. Remember that studious new worker Meridies once met when he visited the company?"

Gladio crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair. He had read the book so many times and therefore knew that this particular character only showed up in two short scenes. Furthermore, his name only got mentioned _once_. "Praeditus?"

"Exactly," Ignis replied, a smile on his face as he realized that Gladio recognized what who he was referring to. "I'm certain Praeditus would be a fitting successor."

"Huh, true. You've really thought this through. Even remembering all the side characters," Gladio realized in awe.

"You never know who might play an important role later, so I tend to observe everyone closely," Ignis admitted, and Gladio knew that this wasn't exclusive to characters in books but people he met in real life as well.

"So, what about Liber and Aegis?" Gladio asked as he leaned forward, interested in Ignis's opinion.

"Well, what do _you_ think?" Ignis inquired in return.

The shield frowned. "Actually, I might be a bit biased since I'm reading a fanfiction about th-"

He stopped talking as Ignis, all of a sudden, choked on his coffee, coughing heavily.

"You alright?" Worried, he stood up, intending to pat the other on the back, but Ignis held up a hand, signaling him to stop.

Frowning, Gladio slowly sat back down, watching how the advisor slowly calmed down again, wiping a stray tear from his eye.

"My apologies," the other said once he had stopped coughing.

"No apology needed, man. Happens to the best of us," Gladio replied with a smirk. Somehow it was good to know that even someone as perfect as Ignis was only human.

The advisor quickly reciprocated his smile before getting up from the table. "I should start preparing dinner."

"Need some help?" the shield asked even though he couldn't cook at all.

"I appreciate the offer, but no," Ignis humbly declined.

As the other was busy putting groceries out of the fridge, Gladio checked his phone for new messages. Nyx had sent him a photo of his outfit, asking for his opinion. An amused smirk found its way to the shield's face. As if the glaive would look bad in anything or ever needed advice. If there was anyone with a more prominent dating history than Gladio, it was Nyx. Although, part of that was because of the glaive's age. Nyx had already been dating when Gladio had just finished elementary school.

After typing out a quick message to assure his friend that he looked as irresistible as ever in the tight black leather pants and the loosely purple top, Gladio's gaze fell on his browser app, and he remembered where their earlier conversation had gotten interrupted.

"So about that fanfic of-"

A loud, clattering sound emerged from the kitchen.  
" _Oh bloody hell,_ " Ignis swore.

"Are you alright?" Gladio asked, jumping up in concern. It wasn't every day that someone like Ignis cursed.

"Just an empty pan," the advisor explained.

"Okay," the shield answered slowly. Walking around the table, Gladio sat down at the other side of it. This way, he could watch Ignis's back as the advisor started chopping vegetables.

"That fanfic is written from Liber's point of view," Gladio slowly began to tell, watching the other's every movement. Ignis stiffened shortly but quickly relaxed again, grabbing the next carrot to chop. Wondering why the other was so tense, the shield continued. "It's not finished yet, but so far, the chapters focus on Liber's feelings for Aegis."

Awaiting the other's comment on that, he paused. It took a while, but eventually, Ignis spoke up. "It wasn't explicitly written in the book that he harbored any such feelings for the other man."

"No, but I can see where it is coming from," Gladio admitted.  
"You do?"  
"Yeah, there has been some kind of tension between them."  
"Since they often disagreed about what was most important for Meridies," Ignis deduced, still not facing him.   
"Yeah, that as well. But, somehow, there was more to it," the shield stated. When the other man didn't say anything, he added, "Do you hate fanfics or what?"

"I never said that," the advisor returned with a sigh. Turning around to the stove, he put the chopped carrots into the pan. Gladio didn't miss how he avoided meeting his gaze. Something was bothering him.

"Have you read Alia Historia?" Ignis asked all of a sudden. "It's another novel by Bella Posteritas."

"Who do you think you're talking to? I've read _all_ of her novels," Gladio stated proudly, and they started to chat about this book's plot.

The conversation was flowing naturally again, and the shield was happy to observe Ignis smiling fondly from time to time as they reminisced about their favorite scenes.

"You're talking," Noctis stated, perplexed, as he entered the living room. Gladio had almost forgotten they'd been waiting for their prince to come home.

"Welcome to the world of adults, oh princess of obviousness," Gladio teased his charge while rolling his eyes.

"And you're not talking about work," the prince added, ignoring his shield.

"Noctis," Ignis called him, but it sounded like a warning.

"Bathroom," the young man answered and left in an instant.

"What was that?" Gladio asked with a frown.

"Nothing," the advisor responded too quickly, yet the shield didn't press any further.

When Noct returned, Ignis was in full work-mode again, asking their prince about meetings, reports, and other boring things the dark-haired youth wasn't interested in hearing on a Friday evening.

"Prompto not coming over tonight?" Gladio asked in an attempt to change the subject.

"Nah, his parents are home for the weekend, so he wants to spend some time with them," the prince explained, a sad smile on his face. Gladio knew that the prince wished to spend more time with his dad as well. At least they had been fishing for a weekend. 

"Good thing _I'm_ here to beat your ass at video games then!" he exclaimed cheerfully.  
"You won't win against me," Noctis huffed, but Gladio hadn't missed the small grateful smile.

Dinner was an endless discussion about vegetables as Noct, like always, refused to eat his carrots. It's like Gladio could see the headache coming up on Ignis's face. Thus, Noctis, for once, didn't ask the advisor if he wanted to stay for a night of gaming. And, of course, Ignis was too proud to ever ask. Although, Gladio had had a feeling that he might have wanted to stay today. But maybe that had only been his wishful thinking.

The dark mood soon lifted as he and Noct got engrossed in one of his new multi-player games. 

By the time Gladio arrived home, the sun was already rising again.

Any other spontaneous plans for his weekend got canceled before they even came up, as Iris came down with a fewer Saturday noon. It wasn't particularly severe, and they still had medicine from the last time it had happened, but Gladio was always worried about his baby sister. Therefore, he didn't leave her side.

She was already feeling better on Sunday, but he stayed at home with her anyway. Better safe than sorry.

In the evening, he tucked her into bed and read her a bedtime story. Lately, she complained that she was too old for that, but she was always listening attentively. 

Once she was asleep, he went to bed as well.

But before turning off the lights and sleeping, he took out his phone, eager to read the next chapter of that fanfiction.

_After having to witness Aegis picking up girls at the library_ twice _, Liber had had enough. His heart wouldn't be able to take that again. Therefore, he had asked his coworker Serva to put the new magazines on the stand. At the same time, he had escaped to the furthest corner of the library._

_Back here, it still felt like a library and not like a bookstore. It was quiet, most of the books were older than himself, and, except for one student -who either had given up on her research or was lost in thought- it was empty._

_Liber liked it here. Being surrounded by books made him feel better than being surrounded by people. Because books didn't betray him._   
_Books didn't disappoint him._   
_Books didn't break his heart._

_"Ah, there you are."_  
 _Books didn't talk to him._  
 _"Got a minute?"_  
 _Books didn't-_ wait.  
 _"Huh?" he asked, perplexed, having lost all of his eloquence at once. As he looked up from the stack of books he was carrying, his gaze met rich brown eyes. "Aegis?"_  
 _"Yeah, hi there," the attractive man responded with a smirk. "I wanted to return that and ask for other recommendations."_

_Liber only now realized that Aegis was carrying the diet book he had borrowed last month._

_"Ah, of course, my coworker Serva should be over at-"_   
_"Nah," Aegis interrupted him at once, "I trust your judgment more than hers."_   
_"You do?" Liber questioned, perplexed._   
_"Yup," the other stated. "You got the time or not?" he added as Liber still didn't move._

_"Of course," the librarian responded dutifully, putting down the books he had been carrying. He could still put them on the appropriate shelves later._

_"Follow me," he instructed. Fighting against an upcoming blush, he led Aegis through the library towards the right shelf with the other diet books. On the way, he felt the looks of the other customers directed to them. Or directed to Aegis -_ he _was the eye-catcher after all._

_His heart was pounding, and his hands started to sweat. How long had it been since he had talked to Aegis? Too long._   
_"Anything specific you are looking for?"_   
_"I'm not sure," the other admitted._   
_"Are you looking for general information, or do you intend to adjust your nutrition? Or maybe Meridies'?" He asked while he already took a few books from the shelf._

_"Would that make a difference if it's for him or me?" Aegis asked, honestly not knowing._  
 _"Of course, your daily routines are different. You are working out more while Meridies spends most of his time sitting in university."_  
 _"See! I knew it was right to ask_ you _," Aegis said with a wink, and Liber almost dropped the books._

_"Oh? Are they too heavy for you? Here, let me carry them," the fighter said, taking the books right out of Liber's arms. For once, he didn't dare to retort that he could carry a stack of books just fine._   
_"Do you want to take them all with you at once? If you have time, you can sit down and browse through them first," Liber suggested, pointing to the tables at the back of the library that were only occupied by that one student. The one who had fallen asleep by now by the looks of it._

_"You got time to help me?" Aegis asked, and Liber agreed on reflex, not caring if his other stack of books kept lying next to the shelf until tomorrow._

A wide grin was grazing Gladio's face as he finished reading the chapter. Finally, some progress and a lucky chance for Liber! Still beaming, he left a comment for the author.

ShieldOfTheChosenOne:  
 _You have no idea how happy this chapter made me!! Hope! Finally!_

The next morning, the author had already answered, and Gladio started the new week with a smile on his face.

Writer0509:  
 _I am glad since these were the feelings I intended to convey with this chapter._  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you've enjoyed reading! Feel free to drop a comment, reading your thoughts and impressions keeps me going ♥
> 
> I'm using Twitter on a daily basis, so if you're ever interested in any updates, you know where to look!  
> [Check out my Profile to find me on Tumblr or Twitter!](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SophiaHoppia/profile)
> 
> [Or simply check out my other fanfictions!](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SophiaHoppia/works)


	5. Coffee shop

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These chapters are getting longer and longer...
> 
> [ Here is the outline of Nyx's apartment.](https://twitter.com/SophiaHoppia/status/1313172523455049733)

Since his sister wasn't feeling sick anymore, Gladio could follow his usual schedule on Monday. That included much training and not enough time to see Ignis. Not that the advisor was any less busy than him.

When the shield went to the training grounds, he passed by Ignis, who had just left the conference room. Only now did he remember that the advisor had said something about a meeting getting rescheduled to Monday morning. Although he hadn't expected it to be _this_ early. 

If Gladio had known, he would have brought Ignis a coffee-to-go. Yet he had missed that opportunity, so it was nothing but their polite exchange of nods again.

Still, he continued to be in high spirits whenever he remembered Friday afternoon. It was a pleasant discovery that Ignis had read quite a few books he was fond of as well. 

Tuesday went by uneventful, just as Wednesday. On Thursday evening, he was hanging out at Nyx's apartment. It was small, compared to Noct's apartment or the Amicitia's house, but somehow it was comfortable. They were sitting on the bed, located in the corner of the room. Nyx had taken his TV from the wall and put it on the table, so they could watch some movies.

"I've talked to him, Nyx," Gladio said out of nowhere as the credits rolled.  
"I know, buddy," the other sighed, turning off the television and Blu-ray player. "You've told me twenty-seven times already."  
"I mean, _actually talked_ to him. Not about Noct or work," Gladio clarified, leaning back to lie on the bed with a sigh. On the ceiling hung a poster of a woman in a bikini standing in front of Longwythe Peak. For a moment, Gladio wondered if it would be weird to ask Prompto for a photo of Ignis, print it in poster-size, and pin it to his ceiling at home.

"Twenty-eight," the glaive replied with a sigh, stopping Gladio's day-dreams from getting out of hand.  
"Nyx!"  
"Come on, eagle boy. I know you love him, I know you're over the moon because you, for once, had a decent conversation with him, but if there isn't anything _new_ you have to add, I don't wanna hear it again."

"I just can't believe we finally talked," the shield repeated, causing Nyx to roll his eyes.  
"If we reach thirty, I'll make you suck off my dick only to shut you up," the glaive threatened, successfully silencing Gladio. "Oh, I know that glint in your eyes. Someone's needy. What's wrong, big guy. Didn't score last week?"

"Actually, I didn't, no," he stated, only realizing it now.  
"Too busy talking to your future husband?" Nyx teased, his gaze playful.  
"Hey, you just told me to drop it," the shield complained, looking up to his best friend.  
"Maybe I _want_ you to reach thirty now," he whispered, playfully tracing Gladio's lips with his finger. "But seriously, I thought you had a date as well?"

"Nah, got dumped," the shield exposed, shrugging his shoulders as he sat back up again.  
"Who in his right mind dumps _you_?"  
"Domicella," he admitted with a sigh.  
"The maid?" Nyx asked to clarify.  
"Yeah."

"Hm, probably only because something important came up," the glaive deduced.  
"And how would _you_ know that?"  
"Because I _know_ her," Nyx said with a smirk, wiggling his eyebrows, leaving no room for doubt about _how_ he knew her.  
"Ugh, you've had her before? Feels like I'm using your hand-me-downs or something."

In an instant, Nyx slapped Gladio's upper arm.  
"Ouch! That hurt, man!" the younger one complained.  
"It was supposed to hurt 'cause that's no way to talk about a lady."  
"I know, I know. Didn't mean it like that."   
"Then, don't say it," Nyx ordered, his gaze stern. "But seriously, don't worry. You'll have fun with her."  
"Yeah?"  
"Mmh," the glaive hummed, the grin back on his face, "you're in for a nice surprise."  
"Now, I'll be disappointed if she doesn't contact me again."  
"Just contact her first. She's probably worried you're angry at her for standing you up."

"Alright. So," Gladio smirked, "did you know I talked to Iggy last Friday?"  
"Oh, you _bad boy_ ," Nyx whispered playfully, a wide smirk on his face as he grabbed Gladio's neck, pulling him down.

Following the advice of his best friend with benefits, he had earned a date with Domicella Friday night. Because of that, he'd missed out on the chance to hang out with Noct and the others. But they were meeting on Saturday anyway.

The prince had heard of a new coffee shop. It had recently opened in town, and Noctis was eager to try it. 

When the shield finally arrived there on Saturday noon, he was already a few minutes late. Since a while ago, he was growing out his hair again. And, by now, he had reached this annoying part where it was too long to look like a decent short hairstyle but too short to look like a proper long hairstyle. So, in desperation, he had gone with the _too-much-hair-gel_ -style today.

As he hurried through the rather well-attended shop, he eventually spotted a very annoyed advisor sitting alone at a table for four, phone in hand. Like always, Ignis's hair was unstyled, lying flat on his head, covering his forehead.

Now, as Gladio walked through the coffee shop, he noticed that it looked a bit like a diner. For each rectangular table, there were two benches: one on the left side and one on the right. 

"Sorry, I'm late," Gladio apologized as he sat down opposite the other man.  
Putting down his phone, Ignis stated what was obvious. "You're not the only one."  
  
"You called them yet?" Gladio asked, already pulling his phone out.  
"No," the other declined, and the shield immediately put his phone to his ear. He was sure that Noctis was only late, but part of him couldn't stop worrying that something might have happened to his charge. As an Amicitia, it was his duty to look after the prince.

"You're late, princess," he stated as soon as the other picked up.  
"Huh, it's not 2 o'clock yet, is it?" Noctis asked, confused.  
"You texted me to be here at 1 o'clock," Gladio reminded him.  
"Oh, must have been a typo. Sorry, just wait there. Later," the prince answered, hanging up without waiting for Gladio's response.

"Hey!" Gladio shouted, but the line was already dead. "Texted me the wrong time on accident," he explained with a sigh. "Or _us_."

Ignis clicked his tongue. " _This little_..."  
Gladio must have imagined that because Ignis Scientia never swore, especially not when it was about the prince of Lucis. "You said something?"   
"No. Let's order something while we wait for Noctis and Prompto," Ignis responded as he was already signaling a waitress to come to their table.

"Welcome," she greeted cheerfully, fluffy red curls bouncing with every move of her head. "What can I do for you?"

"A lot," Gladio answered with a smirk and wiggled his eyebrows, successfully making the young woman giggle.

"A black coffee, please," Ignis ordered politely, but his voice was firm.   
"Classic, I like that," she confirmed, expectedly looking at Gladio.  
"Pumpkin Spice Latte."  
"Oh, good choice," she responded with a smile.  
"I know," Gladio answered, and she giggled again as she left.

Although he didn't know her, she had already left the impression of really loving her job. Not only that, but she also seemed to be fond of coffee and drinks in general. Sure, it could also be that she always her customer's choices, but something gave Gladio the feeling that there was more to it. It was a bit farfetched, but a smirk found its way to his lips as he realized that she might be as much of a coffee lover as Ignis was.

Only when he noticed Ignis rolling his eyes, Gladio realized that he had just been flirting with a waitress even though he was at a coffee shop with his love interest. Sure, they were only on their own because they were waiting for their friends. But this almost counted as a date, and Gladio would regret not grabbing this chance he had been given by fate.

Ignis was typing something on his phone while they waited for their drinks, and Gladio knew better than to interrupt him when he was already in a bad mood. 

Once the waitress returned, the advisor put down his phone, thankfully accepting the steaming cup of hot coffee. This time Gladio held back on the flirting, simply smiling at the girl. 

Ignis's mood had visibly lifted as he took his first sip of coffee. "It's good," he declared in surprise.

"This as well," Gladio added after tasting his drink. He had tasted many different Pumpkin Spice Lattes, and some of them hadn't had the right seasoning.

The advisor grimaced, not looking convinced.

"What? You don't believe my judgment?" the shield asked. "That's the best Pumpkin Spice Latte I ever had." It wasn't even an exaggeration.

"I don't think anything coffee-related should get mixed with something sweet," the advisor stated. As if he had to prove a point, he took another sip from his black coffee. With closed eyes, he relished the bitter taste. Licking over his thin lips, he carefully placed the cup back on the table.  
It was more than slightly distracting for Gladio. However, he still managed to focus back on their topic of conversation.

"It's not just _sweet_. It's pumpkin, milk, and spices," Gladio explained before it dawned on him. "Wait, you've never even _tried_ it?"

"I haven't," Ignis confirmed what Gladio had already guessed.

"You've gotta try it." At once, he slid his glass towards the other man. With how many different meals Ignis cooked, he should appreciate the flavor once he tried it.

Suspiciously eyeing the drink, Ignis carefully picked up the glass. His eyes locked with Gladio's before he finally took a sip.

Licking his lips, the advisor put the glass back down, sliding it back to its owner. "Better than I thought," he admitted, but Gladio didn't answer.

His gaze went from Ignis's rosy lips to the rim of the glass, and Gladio gulped. He was too old to freak out over an indirect kiss.

Nevertheless, he turned his glass around to take a sip from the exact same spot Ignis had drunk from. 

"Way better," Gladio mumbled. The advisor looked confused but didn't say anything. Maybe it was Gladio's imagination, but he could swear that he tasted a faint hint of bitter coffee. Was that what kissing Ignis would taste like as well? 

"So," Gladio put his glass back, "how was your week?"   
"Busy," Ignis answered without a second thought. And while it was probably nothing but the truth Gladio had hoped for some more input.

"Found any time to read?"  
"I'm afraid not," the advisor smiled at him apologetically. "What about you?"

"Iris was sick on the weekend, so I spend a lot of time reading her some stories. Not really the kind of stuff I usually read, but she liked it."  
"I'm sorry to hear she wasn't feeling well. Is she better now?" Ignis asked, expressing genuine concern.  
"Yes, yes, don't worry. She always tended to get sick for only a few days and then bounce back, full of energy," Gladio mentioned with a laugh.

"That's good to hear. So, I assume you didn't have time to read on your own, either?"  
"Not really, no." The shield sighed. "But I at least had time to read the new chapter of that fanfic I've mentioned."

He didn't miss the way Ignis's shoulders tensed for a second before the other picked up his cup, taking another sip of his black coffee.  
"You-" the advisor paused as if searching for the right words "-seem rather fond of that particular story."

"I am, yes," Gladio admitted with a smile. "Can't even say for sure why." He took another sip of his drink. "It's almost magical. I'm getting drawn to the story. I love how the author portrays Liber's feelings: so pure yet full of desire."

Taking another sip from his Pumpkin Spice Latte, Gladio leaned back comfortably. 

"Hm," Ignis hummed thoughtfully over his cup of coffee. "Tell me more about it."

Blinking in surprise since he hadn't seen this sudden interest coming, Gladio smiled. "Sure. So most of the chapters were about Liber pining for Aegis. He truly loves the guy but doesn't dare to confess, afraid to get his heart broken."

"Naturally," Ignis commented, "Aegis was quite the player even in the original book."

"Sure, but that doesn't say anything about his opinion on relationships."

A short amused snort left the advisor. "With his record, it is quite clear that he is more interested in one-night stands than in relationships."

Gladio frowned. "Well, it could be that he's only looking for fun and doesn't _want_ a relationship. But it could also be that he's just making good use of his time while he isn't committed to anyone."

Ignis stared at him as if he had just told him that humans have four heads. "A unique way of thinking."

"Hey, it's not that absurd. You know, I think Liber, or the author, also has a different view of Aegis."

"Meaning?" the advisor inquired, his green eyes and sharp gaze focused on Gladio.

"In chapter 12, Liber thought of Aegis as an _unfaithful flirt_. But I don't think there is anything unfaithful about him. He isn't in a relationship right now, and it's not like he confesses his love and endless loyalty to any of his one-night stands."

Ignis furrowed his brows, gripping his chin. He was actually thinking about this statement.   
"You could be right," the advisor admitted after a while. "Maybe Liber simply has the wrong impression of him. After all, he never witnessed what Aegis says to these men and women he picks up, didn't he?"

"There were two chapters where he watched him picking up girls in the library, but he wasn't close enough to listen in," the shield explained, remembering what he had read. "Actually, there was something else that bothered me in these chapters." A frown found its way to Gladio's face as he leaned back, arms crossed.

"And what would that be?" Ignis inquired, and Gladio was still surprised how interested the other was in this topic.

"Liber's coworker tried to flirt with Aegis, but he ignored her."

"Well, even a man like Aegis must have some people he isn't interested in," Ignis stated, and if Gladio didn't know any better, he'd say there was a glint of sadness in these beautiful green eyes.

"Sure, but it bothered me that Liber generalized it," Gladio explained, causing Ignis to look puzzled. "He deduced that Aegis wasn't into _any_ librarian. But Liber is a clever man. He should know there could be a whole lot of different reasons he rejected her for."

"What reasons?" Ignis asked, suddenly stern.  
"Oh, come on, Iggy. You know what I'm talking about. Maybe she reminded him of someone he had a bad experience with. Maybe he didn't like her perfume. Maybe he wasn't paying her much attention since he had already spotted the other girls. Or maybe he actually likes Liber, so he doesn't want things to get weird later by sleeping with anyone close to him." 

The carefully pondering look was back to the advisor's face, staring at his coffee cup. Gladio took the last sip from his glass, waiting for the other to speak up again.

"You might be right," he said after a while, looking back up. "At least, there are no facts to disprove your theories."

"Yeah! But Liber still got negative, thinking Aegis would never like _him_." A frustrated sigh left Gladio.

"Maybe his judgment got clouded by his strong feelings for Aegis," the advisor offered, picking up his cup only to realize that it's empty.

"Probably, yeah," the shield sighed before standing up. Somehow, this conversation had gotten depressing in the end. "I'll get another Pumpkin Spice Latte. Want one as well? Won't hurt to try something different once in a while," he added as he saw the other's objection coming.

"Alright, if you insist," Ignis replied eventually. Gladio knew that the other wouldn't have accepted if he truly disliked the drink.

Somehow it made him feel giddy that he had gotten Ignis to try another drink. While the advisor was cooking and eating all different kinds of things, always eager to taste something new, Gladio had never seen him drink anything besides coffee -black and Ebony- or water. Maybe an occasional glass of red wine or sparkling wine at an official event. 

Grin still prominent on his face, he arrived at the counter, the cute redhead already giggling as she spotted him. "Hello," she hummed, her voice a seductive octave deeper, "it's so good to see you again."

His smirk widened. "Good to see _you_ ," he responded with a wink. He just couldn't show the cold shoulder to such a cute girl. "I'd like two Pumpkin Spice Latte."  
"Sure! Something else you'd like?" she asked seductively, and Gladio licked his lips.   
"Later," he promised, making her giggle again.  
"Alright," she cheered. "You can go back to your table. I'll bring your drinks."

He was close to accepting before he remembered that Ignis hadn't been in a good mood when she had first come to her table, openly flirting with Gladio. The shield almost sighed. Why was Ignis such a stick-in-the-mud sometimes? Who got uncomfortable over witnessing such a little flirt? But then again, he enjoyed reading romance novels. Gladio didn't get him. Did he like romances or not? or maybe he only like fictional romances?

The waitress flashed him a questioning look as he kept standing there without saying a word. "Oh, don't worry. I'll just wait here until you're finished."

"Ah, you like to watch? Alright," she answered with a wink before she began mixing their drinks. Gladio didn't dislike the way she was shaking her hips while skillfully maneuvering behind the counter. 

Once finished, she handed him two glasses, which Gladio gratefully accepted.

"Used the opportunity to ogle her?" Ignis questioned as Gladio got back, even though it was more of a rhetorical question.

Putting their drinks on the table, Gladio sat back down again. Seeing no use in denying what was obvious, he answered truthfully. "She's nice to look at, and she doesn't mind getting watched." He shrugged his shoulders. "So, yeah. I seized the chance."

Looking surprised by his honest answer yet still displeased, Ignis took a sip of his latte. Before any of them could say something else, Noctis and Prompto finally arrived.

"You're drinking something other than black coffee?" the prince said in surprise as he sat down next to the advisor.  
"Well, indeed. Because, unlike a certain someone who prefers throwing a tantrum like a child instead of eating his carrots, _I_ am not a picky eater," Ignis spat out, and Gladio wondered if part of his bad mood was still due to him flirting with the waitress.

"Oh man, did you fight about that again?" Prompto asked with a sigh as he sat down next to Gladio.  
"Yep, you missed the show last Friday. It was wild," the shield mentioned with a laugh even though that earned him death glares from both men sitting opposite of him.

"Did you ever try carrot cake?" Prompto asked, but Noct immediately grimaced.  
"Who in his right mind would put carrots in a cake?"  
"Actually, that's a good idea," Ignis returned. "We haven't tried that yet. He might like it."

"No way, Iggy, don't. Don't ruin my cakes as well," the prince almost begged, but the advisor had that glint in his eyes. Noctis had no chance of winning, and he knew it.

"Welcome," their cute waitress cheered. "What would you like?"

"Do you have carrot cake?" Prompto asked, and Noct's facial features dropped.  
"Yes! Freshly baked this morning," she confirmed.

"Perfect," Prompto cheered, smiling just as brightly as her. "One slice for me, and one slice for my buddy. Oh, and two hot chocolates."

"I don't want this cake," Noctis said politely.  
"He wants a slice of _carrot_ cake," Ignis insisted forcefully even before their prince had finished speaking.

"Oh, uh." The waitress was flustered. No doubt, she had recognized Noctis by now, even though the younger one was wearing a cap. Helplessly she looked at Gladio.

"I never asked for your name," the shield realized all of a sudden.  
"Oh, it's Faba!"  
"Faba," he repeated with a smile, "short and cute."  
"Just like me," she giggled.  
"That's true," he confirmed, wiggling his eyebrows. "So, two hot chocolates for the children and four slices of carrot cake."

"Traitor," Noctis mumbled, but his shield outright ignored him.

"Alrighty!" Faba wrote down their orders and went back to the counter.

"Oh my gosh, she totally flirted with you, didn't she?!" Prompto asked, excitedly, once she was out of earshot.

"Ever since we arrived, yes," Ignis answered for him while rolling his eyes. Sometimes Gladio wished the other would at least let him his fun. It was bad enough that he was in love with an aromantic, asexual guy. 

"Maybe you'll get something nice again after that bad date with this accountant guy," Prompto suggested while nudging him with his elbow.  
"Oh, I _had_ something nice since then, don't worry," he couldn't bite back from telling, " _twice_ actually."

"No way!!" Prompto exclaimed, slapping his hands over his mouth as he noticed some of the other guests staring at him. "No way," he whispered again. "Tell me everything!"

"Do we have to talk about that now?" Noctis asked with a sigh.  
"It's this or carrots," Prompto returned, and the prince's eyebrow twitched. 

Gladio laughed. Prompto had changed quite a bit since he had first met him. In the beginning, the blond almost didn't dare to even speak up, and now he had no trouble contradicting Noct from time to time. Such courage had to be rewarded, even if that might earn him another icy glare from Ignis.

"First was Nyx, nothing new to that," Gladio mentioned casually. Suddenly, he felt a kick against his shin. "Ouch! What the hell, Noct?"  
Yet the prince only glared at him without saying a word, so Gladio turned further around with a huff, facing Prompto. "The second one was this new maid, Domicella. She was full of surprises."

"Oh? What surprises?" Prompto's cheeks were already red, but he was as curious as always. 

"Turned out, she doesn't only wear that maid uniform to work," he said with a smirk, and Prompto's eyes widened. Noctis kicked him again, but Gladio ignored it. "Also, she was very submissive, called me _master Gladiolus, sir_ , and all that."

"No way!" Prompto exclaimed once more, putting his hands to his mouth to silence his loud giggles.  
"And-" the shield leaned forward to whisper, Prompto's eyes widening even more in surprise "-she had her clit pierced."

"What?!" The blond screamed, fidgeting in his seat, drawing the gazes of the other customers to him again.

"What's so great about piercings anyway?" Noctis asked with a frown, quiet enough not to be overheard. He didn't get why Prompto was so excited.  
"It can look quite aesthetic on the right person, but that wasn't a piece of information about a coworker I wanted to know," Ignis stated matter-of-factly before taking a sip from his drink.

"What?" Gladio uttered, perplexed. Had Ignis just said that piercings could be aesthetic?

"I said that I don't want to know such things about coworkers," the advisor repeated. "I see her at work, Gladiolus." The shield usually preferred his nickname, but when Ignis used his full name, it always sounded way too sexy. "I don't want to remember _that particular information_ every time I see her."

"Oh," Noctis suddenly spoke up, "I had forgotten that you're into piercings and tattoos, Iggy."

" _Noctis Lucis Caelum_. Do you have a death wish, or why are you playing with fire?" Ignis inquired, using the prince's full name only to emphasize how mad he was.

"Two hot chocolates and four slices of carrot cake," Faba announced with a cheerful voice as she put everything on the table, unaware of what she had interrupted just now.

"Perfect timing," Ignis smiled at her, but there was an evil glint in his eyes. Faba seemed to notice the tense atmosphere and left at once.

Gladio still couldn't believe what he had just heard. Had Noct really said that? Iggy was into piercings and tattoos? It couldn't be. But if it wasn't true then the advisor wouldn't be so mad. 

Was it meant in a weird, not sexual, or attractive kind of way? Like, how you were into music? A person like Iggy could probably deem a woman to be beautiful without wanting to fuck her. Was that it? Or had he been wrong all the time, and Iggy wasn't asexual? But he had never said anything indicating he was into anyone. Never ogled someone. Never flirted. Never-

"Hey, big guy!" Gladio blinked as a hand was waving right in front of his eyes.  
"Huh?" Confused, he looked at Prompto.  
"You with us again?"  
"Sorry, been spacing out," he said, taking a large gulp of his drink.  
"Remembering Domicella?" Prompto asked with a smirk.  
"No, something better," he murmured, ignoring Prompto's questioning gaze.

"You are not leaving this table before you have eaten your cake, Noctis," Ignis stated, and by the way his eyebrow twitched, he hadn't said it for the first time.

" _I_ didn't even order it!" the prince complained.  
"At least try it, Noct," Prompto suggested. "You won't even taste the carrots."  
"You don't wanna know how many times Iggy has told me that after mixing them into tomato sauce or whatever. It always tasted like _carrots_ ," Noctis spat out the last word.

"Noct," Prompto whined with a pout. "Do it for me?"

The blond knew which face he had to make. No one could refuse when they faced these big wide blue eyes. He had taken Noct's fork, put some cake on it, and was holding it in front of Noct's face - feeding him.

"Fine," Noctis sighed, took the fork, closed his eyes, and put the food to his mouth.  
Everyone was silent as the prince chewed on the piece of cake.

He gulped and opened his eyes again.  
"Doesn't taste like carrots," he admitted, a blush on his cheeks.

"Dear Six, pinch me. I must be dreaming," the advisor said. Taking his chance when it arrived, Gladio reached across the table, squeezing Ignis's hand that, for once, wasn't clad in gloves.

Quickly withdrawing his hand again, Ignis stared at him in confusion. Gladio knew the other cared a lot about his personal space, but that much should be okay, shouldn't it? Either way, it had been worth it. Ignis's skin had been way softer than he had imagined.

"That's no pinch," the advisor stated, and before Gladio's brain had caught up with it, he already felt a sharp pain on the back of his hand.  
"Ouch!"   
Ignis had pinched him.  
"It's no dream," the advisor stated, a teasing smirk on his face that lasted only a second. But Gladio had seen it. Or had he imagined it?

The rest of the day had continued rather uneventful, but that was quite alright. It had happened enough already. Faba had given him her phone number when they paid, but that had to be expected. 

Noctis had finished his whole piece of carrot cake, and Ignis had looked close to tears of joy. Sometimes, he cared way too much about Noct's diet.

Gladio had spent his Saturday night out drinking with Nyx and some other glaives. On Sunday, his father had taken him and Iris on a short hiking trip. Even though Gladio groaned at getting woken up at an early hour, he enjoyed the peaceful time with his family surrounded by nature.

Iris had already fallen asleep on the way home, too exhausted from this day. Once he had taken her to bed, he took a quick shower before lying down as well.

But he wouldn't sleep before he had read the newest chapter.

_Liber was still smiling whenever he remembered his afternoon with Aegis at the library last week. They had sat together, talking about nutrition and balanced meals. To his surprise, the fighter had already known quite a bit. Yet, that didn't stop him from seeking more information to optimize his diet._

_Today, the librarian was on his way to Meridies. It was time for another literature lesson. Fortunately, Liber knew that the young man had a training session with Aegis right before their appointment. Hoping to get at least a short glimpse at the fighter, Liber went to Meridies' house a bit earlier than usual._

_Or way too early, actually._

_Liber frowned as he checked his watch. He was more than half an hour before the appointed time. That would be a bit too obvious, wouldn't it? As he stood in the front yard, pondering what to do, someone suddenly called out to him._

_"Oh, hey there!" a cheerful female voice called._  
_Liber looked up and saw a young woman, easily carrying a heavy-looking bag with soil. She was wearing a cap, wild, red curls of hair coming out beneath it. Her cheek was muddy. "The name's Hortulana! I'm the new gardener," she introduced herself, a silver tongue piercing catching Liber's eye as she spoke._

_"Nice to meet you. I'm Liber," he greeted friendly._  
_"Ah, the young master's literature teacher, right?" she recognized him. "He's still at the back, training with Aegis. Follow me!"_

_Part of him wanted to protest, but she was already walking around the house, expecting him to follow her. Hoping that no one would ask why he was here that early, he joined the others in the garden._

_Meridies was training his punches against Aegis. Liber was certain that one single blow of the young student would knock him off his feet, but Aegis took them effortlessly._

_It was a hot summer day, but Liber was grateful for it. That way, he could blame the heat for the color rising to his cheeks. By now, the two men had noticed him standing on the sidelines, but they were too concentrated on their training to talk to him. Which was fine. Liber could watch Aegis showing off these muscles forever._

_Being a tad weak to the heat, Liber was glad that he was carrying a water bottle with him as always. After all, it was important to stay hydrated. Taking it out of his bag, he opened the bottle._

_"Hey, can I have a sip?" Aegis suddenly asked, and Liber froze. Had he been talking to him?_  
_"Thirty sit-ups," the fighter instructed his student, making Meridies groan._

_Using the back of his hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead, a few strands of silver hair still clung to it. Aegis walked over to Liber, watching him expectantly with his brown eyes._

_Without a word, Liber held out the bottle for him, still staring at the man in disbelief._  
_"Thanks," he said with a smile. As the fighter reached for the water, his fingers brushed against Liber's. A sudden heat was flaring up the librarian's cheeks. Their hands had touched! Aegis's finger had been so hot, his skin rough but nonetheless smooth._

_"You're a life-saver," the fighter answered as he handed back the bottle. Liber was still perplexed even as Aegis was already walking back to Meridies. The image of the man drinking from his water bottle, full lips embracing the opening, Adam's apple bobbing with every sip, would haunt him to his most sinful dreams._

_His_ lips _._

_Liber's gaze fell on the opened water bottle in his hands. Aegis's lips had been on..._

_His cheeks grew even redder._

_His hand was shaking as he slowly lifted the bottle to his own lips, taking a sip from the water - taking_ an indirect kiss _from Aegis._

_Liber felt like he was dreaming. He had no idea how much longer he stood there, watching Aegis train while drinking from his bottle, even though he wasn't thirsty anymore._

_Reality came crashing back to him as the training session ended. Aegis put his left arm around Hortulana's shoulders, using his right hand to brush some mud from the tip of her nose. She was giggling as they left the estate together._

_Meridies had a worried expression as Liber just stood there, staring into space._

Gladio had mixed feelings. He'd been giddy with excitement reading the chapter. It was so sweet how Liber pined for Aegis and even sweeter how he treasured that short moment their hands had touched and that indirect kiss. Obviously, he couldn't help but remember his indirect kiss today, when Ignis had drunk from his glass. Gladio had been just as excited as Liber had been. They really resembled each other. 

But the end of the chapter had been devastating. Liber knew that Aegis liked to pick up girls, but it must have been so painful for him to watch that. Again. He felt sorry for the man. Liber was such a nice guy - loyal and loving. He deserved a happy end. 

ShieldOfTheChosenOne:  
_That chapter was a roller coaster of emotions. The indirect kiss was so sweet! Liber deserved something better than getting disappointed again._ _Watching Aegis leave with that girl must have been painful._

After leaving a comment with his expressions to the author, Gladio put his phone on the nightstand.

Yet he couldn't sleep. He read the chapter hoping to escape reality, but too many parts of it had reminded him of his time with Ignis yesterday. The indirect kiss, the brushing of hands, the piercings, a red-haired girl, Liber's unrequited feelings...

Gladio sighed. Maybe the Six wanted him to face reality instead of escaping into fiction.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was serious when I tagged this as "slow burn". Gladio is slow. And it's burning.
> 
> I hope you've enjoyed reading! Feel free to drop a comment, reading your thoughts and impressions keeps me going ♥
> 
> I'm using Twitter on a daily basis, so if you're ever interested in any updates, you know where to look!  
> [Check out my Profile to find me on Tumblr or Twitter!](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SophiaHoppia/profile)
> 
> [Or simply check out my other fanfictions!](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SophiaHoppia/works)


	6. A small trivial matter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's no big deal.  
> At least, it's not supposed to be.  
> But for Gladio, it is.

Gladio had had a terrible night, restless and dragging on endlessly. At some point, he had given up on sleep. Instead, he picked up his phone in the middle of the night.

The author had already replied to his comment.

Writer0509:  
_Indeed. Getting your hopes crushed after getting them up hurts even more. Especially if you have to witness your love interest picking up girls right in front of your eyes._

Well, that didn't cheer up Gladio's mood at all.

Pondering shortly, he had opened a chat with Faba, writing her a short message. The waitress had been cheerful and cute, so why should he use the phone number she had given him? He wouldn't mind meeting her again. After sending her a message, he stared at his phone for a while. Unfortunately, she didn't answer him. But what did he expect texting people at 4 a.m.?

After tossing and turning in his bed for another hour, he gave up on getting any more sleep this night. With a sigh, he got out of bed and decided to go running. If he couldn't sleep anyway, he could at least make the most of his time and use it to work out.

By noon, Gladio's mood had only worsened. As always, the lack of sleep was making him cranky. Morning training with Cor had been even more of a hell than usual, and even a long, hot shower didn't stop his muscles from hurting. Why did the marshall always drill them until it was too much? 

When he stepped out of the shower room, everyone else had already left. With slow steps, he went to his locker. He had just finished putting his clothes on as someone slung an arm around his shoulders.

"Guess who got assigned to teaching Ignis magic spells starting tomorrow?" Nyx announced cheerfully.  
"What?" Gladio asked on reflex. He had been so lost in his bad mood that he hadn't even heard his friend entering the room.

"And don't worry. He has already mastered the theory behind it. I'm talking about _practice_ ," the glaive purred the last word right into Gladio's ear.  
"You bastard!" He exclaimed, spinning around to get out of the other's grip.  
"Hehe," Nyx snickered. "I'll see your sweetheart every week now. _Twice_."

"I hate you," the shield grumbled, stuffing his clothes into his bag before shouldering it.  
"Aaw, you're just jealous you're not affine to magic," the glaive teased.  
Gladio slammed the door of his locker shut, and Nyx's laughter stopped.

"Alright, eagle boy. What's wrong?" the other asked without the usual teasing tone in his voice, noticing something was awry.  
"Bad mood," Gladio answered shortly, averting his eyes.

Nyx studied his face. "Wanna talk about it?"  
"Not sure what's there to talk about," he answered, turning around to leave, but stopped as he felt Nyx's hand on his shoulder.  
"Hey, eagle boy. What's bothering you? I'm getting worried."

"Sorry, I'm not sure myself," he admitted with a sigh.  
"Did something happen on Saturday?" Nyx asked, his wits way too sharp once again.  
"Kinda yes, and kinda no. I don't know, man." Gladio sighed once more.

"Hmm," the glaive hummed in thought. "Sounds like you need some help to gather your thoughts." Nyx massaged his shoulders before his right hand traveled down his back, grabbing his ass cheek. "Wanna come over tonight? I'll help you relax," the glaive whispered into his ear.

"Um, Gladio?"

Gladio's eyes shot to the door, where his prince was standing, and Nyx pulled back his hands.  
"What's up, princess? Did something happen?" If he remembered correctly, his charge was supposed to be with Ignis all day, attending council meetings. 

"Ah, no. I'm finished for the day and wanted to ask if you could drive me home? I wanted to go on my own, but Iggy insisted that I asked you. You know how worried he always gets," the prince babbled, his eyes everywhere but on Gladio and Nyx. "Sorry if I interrupted something."

Relieved that his prince was alright, Gladio walked over to him. "It's okay, don't worry about it. I'll drive you home."

Before Noctis could answer, Gladio already had a hand on his back, ushering him out of the room.

"The offer always stands, eagle boy," Nyx called after them, and Gladio waved to him without looking back. 

Their walk to the parking lot as well as the drive was spent in silence. Noctis looked just as exhausted as Gladio felt. Watching the buildings rushing by, the prince stared out of the window while Gladio had his focus on the road ahead. 

When they arrived at the apartment, Noct looked at him for the first time. "Wanna come up?"  
"Sorry," Gladio apologized, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm not in the mood for company right now."  
"Oh, alright," the prince answered. His hand was on the door handle, but he didn't get out of the car.

Just as Gladio wanted to ask if something was wrong, Noctis suddenly spoke up again. "Are you and Nyx together?"

It was the first time Noct had asked him something like that. Usually, it was Prompto who was curious about his flings.

"Nah, we're just friends with benefits. Nothing serious," he stated honestly. Although he was pretty sure that he had already told him about this before. Well, maybe Gladio hadn't given it a name, but he had mentioned Nyx a few times when he had talked to Prompto in Noctis's presence.

The prince bit his lip.

"Why?" Gladio inquired, curious where this sudden interest was coming from and confused by that reaction.

"Just asking for a friend," the prince mumbled before suddenly getting out of the car.

"What?" Gladio returned with a scowl, but Noct had already closed the door and walked away. With a frown, Gladio crossed his arms. Which friend was he talking about? Could it be Prompto was interested in him? No, no way. The blond obviously had the hots for the prince. 

Gladio huffed. Noct had probably just been too shy to admit that _he_ had been curious to know, even though he always acted as if he didn't care about sex or anything related to it. 

When Gladio finally arrived at home, he wanted to do nothing but lie in bed. Yet Iris was so overjoyed that his big brother was home for an afternoon for once that she didn't let him move to his room. So he was stuck sitting in the living room, a bunch of colorful hair accessories getting put to his hair. Somehow, it made him really uncomfortable when she pulled his hair on accident. It didn't even hurt that much. It was just _weird_. Yet he couldn't really place the feeling, so he just let her continue. 

What he wouldn't bear to make his little sister happy.

Jared barely stifled a laugh as he spotted them, but the young Amicitia couldn't blame him. He knew he looked ridiculous. 

"Let's send daddy a picture!" Iris suggested cheerfully, already tugging at Jared's sleeve. 

The little girl sat down in Gladio's lap, one beautiful red flower ornament gracing her dark brown hair, whereas Gladio's head was a colorful mix of hair ties, hair clips, and he didn't know what else.

He forced a smile to his face as Jared snapped a picture, sending it to Clarus. Iris happily jumped up and down as their father replied that they both looked very beautiful.

Gladio snorted. Yeah, sure. Especially him.

Despite it all, his sister had managed to cheer up his mood a bit, so he wouldn't complain.

In the evening, he got a message from Faba, the waitress. She said that she was super busy but would get back to him eventually. It was a glimmer of hope after this day.

On Tuesday, Gladio was walking through the Citadel's hallways as someone suddenly called out for him. 

"Hey, Gladio," Domicella shouted from a nearby room, beckoning him to come over. She was hiding behind the door and checking the hallways with her sharp gaze to make sure that no one saw them, her blond ponytail swaying left and right. 

With a slight frown on his face, he walked over to her, entering the room. She immediately closed the door behind him. 

They were standing in one of the council meeting rooms, and another girl with brown hair, plaited into two braids, was busy wiping the table. She was wearing the same maid outfit as Domicella: a black dress beneath a frilly white apron.

"Verecunda, come on. Don't be shy now," Domicella urged the other girl on, making her blush up to her ears.  
"But Domicella! Do you really think I should-"  
Before she could finish speaking, Domicella had already walked up behind her. She lay her hands on the back of the other woman, effectively pushing her towards Gladio. The poor girl was even more flustered now, cheeks and ears bright red. Her glasses had slipped down her nose, covered in freckles. 

"I, um," she stuttered, looking down at her hands, her fingers nervously fidgeting with the cleaning cloth.

"Give me that," Domicella called out, taking the cloth from her hands.

"Hey," Verecunda complained without any force behind it. But Domicella had already walked over to the table, wiping it in her stead.

The shy girl was nervously touching the hem of her skirt now, still not looking Gladio into his eyes.

Well, that was awkward.

"So," Gladio cleared his throat. "Anything I can do for you?"  
"N-no," she said, but Domicella shouted, "Yes!"

"No need to hold back," Gladio offered, hoping it sounded reassuring and not pushing. Feeling a bit uncomfortably about the whole situation, he scratched the back of his neck.

"I, um," the girl started to talk but went quiet again. Her eyes were darting around nervously. Her hands had traveled to the large pocket on the front of her apron. 

Just as Gladio wanted to ask if he should come by again later -the girl was obviously too nervous right now- she suddenly bowed as low as possible.

"Could you please deliver this to mister Scientia?" she asked, her voice so loud Gladio flinched. 

He looked at the slightly crumpled letter, clenched in two small, shaking hands.

 _Oh, dear Six._  
What had he done to deserve that?

"Sure," he replied, his voice rough as he accepted the letter.

Verecunda stood up straight again, a wide smile on her face. "Thank you so much!" she exclaimed before she ran back to the table, snatching the cleaning cloth from Domicella again.

"Thanks, Gladio! I owe you one," Domicella said with a wink. Somehow, he managed a short smile, tugged the letter to the inside pocket of his leather jacket, and left the room.

Gladio had spent the rest of the week looking at the letter. Turning it around, over and over again. However, the only thing written on it -in the most beautiful handwriting- was _Ignis Scientia_. He had held it against the light, but the envelope was too thick to see anything through it. The content wasn't meant to be read by him anyway. 

He had walked by Ignis a few times this week, but he had never dared to hand him the letter. In fact, he hadn't even dared to talk to him much. Somehow it felt like if he didn't speak to him, he didn't have to hand him the letter either. Yet he knew that he couldn't keep this up forever. Besides, he didn't want to avoid Ignis. He already missed him.

Pondering if he should tell Nyx about it or not, he eventually decided against it. Last week, he had already annoyed his best friend by talking about Ignis all the time. Knowing that he wouldn't be able to concentrate on anything else, he had canceled their usual meeting on Thursday evening. 

Friday evening, he arrived at Noct's apartment. The prince had invited him for dinner and gaming once more. When he entered the main room, Ignis was already cooking in the kitchen. Judging by the sound of running water, the prince had to be in the bathroom right now.

"Prompto's not here yet?" Gladio asked, searching the room for the blond.   
"No, he's still at his part-time job. But he should arrive soon," the advisor explained without looking at him.

That left Gladio alone with Ignis.   
Alone with Ignis and this letter that seemed to burn a hole through his clothes and into his heart.

Since he knew he had to metaphorically rip off the bandage at some point, he went for it now.

"Iggy? I was asked to give you something," he said, holding out the letter. Somehow he managed to keep his voice straight, neither stuttering nor wavering.

Ignis looked up in surprise, wiped his hands on a towel, and walked over to him.

"A letter?" he inquired, turning it around in his hands, frowning when he didn't find the name of the sender.

"Yup," Gladio confirmed, feeling his throat go dry. What was he even so nervous about? Ignis wasn't interested in a relationship anyway, so this wasn't a big deal. He would read it, shrug his shoulders, and throw it away. 

When the advisor opened the envelope, however, Gladio closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. He dreaded his reaction.

Seconds ticked by, feeling like an eternity.

Getting impatient, he opened his eyes again, watching Ignis reading the letter. His expression didn't let on anything about his thoughts. 

"It's a love letter," Ignis mentioned matter-of-factly after a while, his eyes still flicking over the paper, continuing to read.  
Gladio felt his stomach drop even though he had seen it coming. Of course, it was a love letter. What else should it be? A challenge to a duel? As if. 

"From Verecunda Nihilnisi," the advisor mumbled, deep in thought until his eyes suddenly widened. "Oh, she's the one responsible for catering during the council meetings. I knew I had heard her name before."

Gladio wanted to say something, _anything_ , but no words came to his mind. Somewhere deep inside, he had hoped that Ignis hadn't paid this random coworker enough attention to recognize her by name.

"Oh my, that is such a lovely letter," Ignis announced after he had finished reading it. "I've gotta take the time to write her an appropriate answer. Should I give her my reply herself, or did she want you to deliver that as well?" the advisor questioned, but Gladio was already running to the front door.

"Gladiolus?" He heard Ignis call out to him in confusion.

"Got an appointment," he replied for the sake of saying _anything_ , slamming the door behind him as he left the apartment.

Not knowing where else to go, he drove to Nyx's apartment on instinct. It was probably a miracle he even arrived safely. As he parked his car, he wrote a short text message to his best friend, asking if his offer from Monday still stood.

Without awaiting his reply, he walked up the stairs to the fourth floor, ringing the bell at Nyx's front door.

When no one answered, Gladio leaned his back against the door and waited.

At some point, he slid down to sit cross-legged, still leaning against the closed entrance. What was he even doing? This whole week, he had been intent on _not_ bothering his best friend about his love problems again, but now he was here anyway. 

"Eagle boy?"   
Gladio heard footsteps coming over.  
"Please tell me you haven't been sitting here since you texted me two hours ago."

Opening his eyes, he looked up at Nyx. The man's face was a mix of worry and surprise.  
"Must have fallen asleep," the shield mumbled in realization as he slowly stood up. His legs were a bit sore from sitting on the cold ground for so long.

"I'm so sorry, eagle boy," Nyx apologized while opening the door. "Crowe had coerced me into watching that new action movie at the cinema with her. I had my phone turned off."

"It's alright, man. I came by out of the blue," Gladio replied as he followed his friend inside.

"Beer?" the glaive asked, already rummaging in his fridge since his kitchen was located next to his entrance door.  
"No," the younger one answered with a sigh, crossing the small room to sit down on the bed, elbows propped on his knees, face in his hands.  
"No?!" Nyx slammed the fridge shut after taking out a water bottle instead. "Okay, fuck, what happened? Talk to me, eagle boy," the glaive implored. Setting the bottle to the nightstand, Nyx sat down on the floor in front of the bed, his hands on Gladio's knees. 

"It's stupid," the shield mumbled into his hands.  
"I don't mind, tell me anyway," he urged him, only meaning well. 

When Gladio didn't speak up, Nyx picked up the water bottle, taking a few sips. Afterwards, he held out the bottle for Gladio. "Come on, drink something. You must be thirsty after waiting for me."

Gladio looked at the water bottle. He and Nyx often shared their drinks like that. It was no big deal. They didn't get excited about it, viewing it as an indirect kiss. This was different from Liber getting excited about an indirect kiss with Aegis. This was different from Gladio being the happiest man alive for getting an indirect kiss from Ignis with the help of a glass of Pumpkin Spice Latte. _Ignis_. Ignis, who had gotten a love letter from a cute, shy girl who would be the perfect match for him.

"Okay, now you're scaring me. I've never seen someone getting triggered by a bottle of water," Nyx stated, and Gladio only now realized his eyes water up. 

Using the back of his hand, he wiped over his eyes before even a single tear got shed. Accepting the bottle from his friend, he gulped down a large amount of water. 

"Domicella's friend asked me to deliver a love letter to Iggy," he finally spilled the beans, leaning back to lie on the bed.

"Oh fuck, no," Nyx cursed. Standing up, he took the bottle from Gladio before he could spill its contents, setting it back to the nightstand. "What did you do?" 

"Been a gentleman and delivered it," he answered, one desperate laughter tumbling from his lips.   
"Shit," the glaive responded as he got down on the bed as well. Lying down on his side, next to Gladio, he let his warm hand soothingly rub over Gladio's arm. "How did he react?"

Gladio took in a shaky breath. "He said it was a _lovely letter_ , even recognized her by name."  
"You're kidding me," Nyx exclaimed in disbelief.

"Wish I was, buddy. He even asked if I should deliver his reply or if he should give it to her himself," the shield recounted, feeling his eyes watering up again. He bit his bottom lip to stop it from quivering.

"That can't be true," the glaive exclaimed, shaking his head. "What happened next?"

"I panicked, ran out of Noct's apartment with a lame excuse, drove to your apartment, and here I am," he huffed.

"Fuck," Nyx cursed once again. "I'm so sorry, eagle boy." 

Afraid that he might start to cry, Gladio didn't reply, but he rolled over, burying his face in the crook of Nyx's neck.

In an instant, two strong arms got wrapped around him, pressing him closer against the warm body next to him. Soothingly, Nyx was stroking his back while Gladio took deep breaths, doing his best to fight back the tears.

"Did pretty boy explicitly say if he accepted or declined her confession?" Nyx asked after a while.

"What?" Gladio muttered, confused by the question _and_ the nickname.

"You only said that he wanted to reply to her. Not _what_ ," the glaive elaborated, placing a quick kiss on Gladio's hair.

"What's there to reply if he doesn't accept?" he questioned, looking up at his friend in confusion.

"Politely decline?" Nyx shrugged his shoulders. "Pretty boy can be a stick-in-the-mud, but he is a proper gentleman. He wouldn't let such a letter go unanswered even if he didn't share the sender's feelings," he finished his explanation, and Gladio wanted nothing more than to believe him.

"You really think so?" There was hope in Gladio's voice.   
"Well, you know him a bit better than I do, but I think he's the kind of guy who would do that," the glaive stated, his hand caressing the back of Gladio's neck.

"You might be right," Gladio admitted quietly. Maybe he was only clinging to false hope, but he needed that right now. Anything was better than getting lost in depressing thoughts.  
"Good," Nyx hummed, his skillful fingers still traveling over Gladio's neck and back. 

Relishing his best friend's touch, Gladio closed his eyes. " _Pretty boy_ , huh?"  
"Fitting, don't you think?" Nyx replied proudly.  
"Fuck, yeah," the shield admitted. Sometimes the glaive came up with weird nicknames, but Ignis _was_ pretty. Really pretty.

For a while, they just lay there, embracing each other, while the glaive's hand explored his arms, back, and neck yet staying away from the more intimate areas. Gladio appreciated what he knew was Nyx's silent offer for more without any pressure to accept.

But Gladio wanted to accept. He wanted to stop thinking and forget this week. 

After placing a few quick kisses to the crook of the glaive's neck, Gladio pulled the collar of the other's shirt down a bit to nibble on his collarbone. 

An appreciating moan left the older one, and Gladio let his hand travel down the familiar body, grabbing that firm ass cheek.

"Should I ride you?" Nyx whispered into his ear, his hand traveling to Gladio's ass as well.  
"Nah, take me apart," he answered, hating how vulnerable he sounded yet knowing that he could trust his best friend with that.

"Oh, eagle boy," Nyx whispered, cupping his cheek, a hint of pity in his eyes. "I'll take you howsoever you like. _Nice_ and _slow_ , or _hard_ and _fast_. Just tell me what you need."  
"Both?" Gladio laughed desperately. "I don't even know anymore."  
"Don't worry," Nyx chuckled, an unspoken promising behind his words. "We've got all night."

The glaive hadn't been kidding with his proposition. 

The morning sun was already rising once they emerged from the shower. Their _second_ shower that night, actually, but who cared?

Feeling sore in every part of his body, Gladio flopped back down on the bed. He was clad in nothing but his boxer shorts.

Nyx lay down next to him, his eyes closed, exhausted and tired.

Gladio let his gaze wander down his friend's body, his eyes darting back to the piercing on his right nipple. As if in a trance, he carefully brushed it with his finger.

Taken aback, a little moan escaped the glaive as he felt the touch on his skin, sensitive after their shared night.

Nyx had opened his eyes again, watching Gladio. 

"Last Saturday when we were in that coffee shop," the shield began to recount, and Nyx was visibly confused where this topic suddenly came from, "Noctis mentioned that Iggy is into piercings and tattoos."

"What?" That had gotten the glaive's attention.

"Exactly my reaction," Gladio snorted, taking his hand back.

"But well, that's good for you, _eagle_ boy," the glaive purred, his fingers tracing the lines of Gladio's tattoo over his chest and shoulder. 

"I always thought he was asexual. And aromantic," the younger one added as an afterthought. "But after everything that happened, I'm not so sure anymore. He reads romance novels, he appreciates love letters, he's into piercings and tatts?!" It didn't make sense.

"Well, maybe your deduction has been wrong all along." Excitedly, Nyx turned around to lie on his side, facing Gladio. "Maybe pretty boy isn't aromantic or asexual. He could just be shy. Or maybe he's only interested in sex when it comes together with a relationship. You do know that not everyone is into one-night stands?" Nyx mockingly pulled up an eyebrow.

"Of course, I know that!" the shield exclaimed, playfully slapping Nyx's upper arm.

"Well, then we have a new mission! Let's find out if pretty boy is interested in relationships or not," Nyx exclaimed out of nowhere.  
" _We_?" Gladio frowned. "How are _you_ gonna do that?"  
"Have you forgotten that I'm his new private magic teacher?" Nyx mentioned, wiggling his eyebrows, causing Gladio to groan. "I see him for a whole hour every Tuesday and Friday. Just him and me, alone in a room-"  
"I swear to the gods if you even lay a single finger on him-"  
"Don't worry, eagle boy," Nyx chuckled, "I'd never touch your sweetheart, you know that. You can trust me."  
"I do," Gladio answered with a sigh. "Just don't mess this up. Don't bother him. Don't make him uncomfortable."  
"Hey, that's enough!" the glaive complained, pinching Gladio's nose. "Who do you take me for? I'm a gentleman."

The shield snorted, and then they both started to laugh.

Gladio had spent the rest of his Saturday at Nyx's apartment as well. They'd been sleeping -for real this time- and lazily watched some movies. At some point, he had checked his phone. There were a few missed messages from Noct last night, asking if he was alright. Even one from Ignis, although it sounded businesslike with the lack of any emoji, and was sent from the phone he used for work. He sent a quick reply to both of them without getting any message back.

On Sunday, Gladio stayed at home. Alone, for once. His father was with Regis while Iris was at a friend's birthday party. Even Jared had taken the weekend off for a short trip with his grandson.

After sleeping in, Gladio hadn't been doing much. Most of the time, he was just lying on the couch, browsing through the internet, looking at some memes without really laughing about them.

At some point, he reloaded the page of the Aegis/Liber fanfiction and was happy to see that chapter 16 was already online.

_As always, Liber was busy rearranging the books on the shelves of the library. Sometimes he wondered why the customers couldn't simply put a book back to the exact same spot they had taken it from. He didn't know if they were just inattentive, not knowing how much trouble and work that caused for others, or if they simply didn't care._

_"Um, excuse me?"_  
_Putting on his customer-friendly smile while still raging on the inside, he turned around towards the voice._  
_"Yes, how can I help you?"_

_"Do you have a biography about Symphoniacus Instrumento?" A young woman around his age asked. Her blonde hair was put into one large braid, a few bangs falling loosely to her face. Her pale skin was covered in freckles. She looked familiar._

_"Ah, the great musician. Of course, follow me," he answered politely and lead the way to the respective shelf._

_"This is the most famous one," he said, showing her the book._  
_"Oh, um, I have already read that one. Sorry, I should have mentioned that before!"_  
_"No problem, we do have other books that cover parts of his life - some more detailed, some less detailed," he explained. "Anything particular you are looking for?"_

_"I wouldn't mind reading them all," she mentioned, a glint of excitement in her eyes that made Liber smile. It was always nice to see someone getting enthusiastic about a topic they were interested in. "But I'm especially curious about his student years," she added, "because that wasn't covered in such detail in the other book."_

_"Ah, that's true. Don't worry, I can think of a few books that cover that in more detail," Liber replied with a smile on his own, already picking up a few books from the shelf._  
_"Really?! That's great!" she answered cheerfully._

_"There are quite a few books, but many of them only cover Instrumento's life on a few pages. I suggest that you sit down and take a look at them first. Pick out your favorites before you borrow all these heavy books. If you have time for that."_

_"Of course, I've got plenty of time!"_

_"I'll carry them to a table for you," he offered diligently._  
_"Oh! They look heavy. Let me carry half of them." Liber wanted to protest since she was a customer. But the girl had already taken some books out of his arms. With them, she was walking over to an empty table._

_"I hope you'll find what you're looking for," he said after putting the books down._  
_"Um, actually, well," she suddenly stuttered, her pale cheeks turning pink._  
_"Yes?"_  
_"If you wouldn't mind, um, I mean, only if you got time to spare, well, could you help me find the pages about Instrumento?"_  
_"Ah, of course," he answered with a smile and sat down on one of the chairs. "I have read all these books before, so I remember, at least to some extent, at which part they covered his life."_

_"Thank you so much for your help," she exclaimed cheerfully, sitting down next to him._

_They spend the next hours browsing books and talking about musicians. Liber had to admit that he was impressed by her knowledge. After a while, he remembered that she was the same girl who always bought music magazines. She had also been there on that day when Serva had been ignored by Aegis._

_Now that he thought about it, she was the one sitting on the table next to them when he had helped Aegis to look for diet books._  
_That's why she had looked so familiar to him. She was a regular, after all._

_"Um, if you don't mind, I'd like to invite you out for a coffee as thanks for all your help," she suddenly said, her cheeks pink, her gaze on the book in her hands._

_"Oh, that's not necessary. It's my job to help customers," he politely explained._

_"Ah, of course, silly me," she replied with a laugh._

_It was quiet for a while until she spoke up again._  
_"Actually, I'd like to invite you for coffee anyway. Even if it's not as thanks?" By now, she was looking at him expectantly, but Liber was puzzled._

_"Oh no, do you not like coffee?! We could also go to see a movie together! Or a concert? Or, ah, I'm sorry. It's just, I've seen you every time I come to this library, and you are always working so hard and diligently, and are so nice to all your customers and, oh, sorry, I'm talking too much. I just like you! Please go out with me?"_

_Her face was as red as a tomato by now, her hands shaking._

_Liber's brain needed a moment to catch up with everything. Did she just confess to him? That was a rarity for him. And while she was such a perfectly lovely girl, Liber's heart didn't race when he looked at her._

_"I'm very sorry that I have to hurt your feelings like that, but I can't accept your offer," he replied, his voice friendly but assertive._

_"Oh, um, haha, it's alright. Is there someone else you-"_

_"Yes," he confirmed before she even finished her question. "My deepest apologies."_

_"Ah, so that's why. Um, don't apologize. It's not like you can choose your feelings. Life would be so much easier if you could, wouldn't it?" She laughed bitterly, her eyes watering up._

_"Yes, it would," Liber confirmed. Because then he wouldn't have to pine after a man he's never going to be good enough for and wouldn't have to break the heart of a lovely young lady._

_"Um, I'll borrow some of the books. Thanks for your help," she said, picked up four books, and left the table in a hurry._

_Liber didn't go after her, knowing full well she wouldn't want him to see her cry._

_As he sat at the table, looking at the few remaining books lying there, he realized that he had never even asked for her name. Somehow that made him feel even worse. This woman had bared all of her feelings, had watched him for weeks, slowly fallen in love with him. Liber, however, had been so lost in his thoughts that he hadn't even_ noticed _her until today. There were nothing and no one but Aegis on his mind._

_He felt like a terrible human being. He must have been her whole world, but she was nothing to him._

_Silently, he wondered if he was nothing to Aegis as well._

While the feelings were still fresh, Gladio quickly typed a comment.

ShieldOfTheChosenOne:  
_That chapter was so bittersweet. Love is beautiful, but it hurts as well. For Liber, it was just an invitation to coffee. But for that girl, it was the confession of all of her feelings._

Afterwards, he put down his phone with a sigh. So Liber had gotten a confession. He hadn't expected that. It had been bad enough that there had been a confession letter in real life this week. Even though he hadn't been the recipient of these feelings. 

With a groan, he massaged his temples. Why was he always comparing his real life to this fanfiction? Although he couldn't really be blamed with all these similarities, it was almost as if someone who knew him was-  
_No._   
He shook his head. Now his thoughts were going crazy.

For the first time, he had the idea to check the author's user account. Their profile hadn't anything written in it, no links to any social media accounts either. Their username _Writer0509_ gave nothing away. While 0509 could be their birthday, every Lucian citizen knew that May 9th was the birthday of their first king Somnus Lucis Caelum and a national holiday ever since.

Suddenly, he noticed that the author had other works as well. Gladio opened the site, scrolling down. Most of the stories had no fandom assigned, but some were about older books or movies. Maybe the author was someone older? The further he scrolled down, the more he noticed that almost all of these other fanfics were completed one-shots. NSFW one-shots, to be precise. Some of them even with kinky tags. So the author was an old perv? Did he know someone fitting that description? And even if - not many people knew about the confession letter. Verecunda and Domicella. Nyx and Ignis-

 _No._ A desperate laugh tumbled from Gladio's lips. What was he even trying to do here? 

A text message popped up on his screen. 

Faba, the waitress he hadn't heard from since Monday, asked if he wanted to come over for some _drinks and fun_.

Gladio smiled. Yeah, that sounded better than lounging around, chasing rainbows, and getting lost in absurd delusions.

As it turned out, his thoughts wouldn't stop racing, no matter how much he drank. That was unusual for him. 

But he didn't mind drinking even more of that wine Faba offered him. 

If he remembered correctly, it was the same wine that Ignis had drunk at the last royal event they had to participate in. 

Apparently, Faba's uncle was a vintner, gifting her more bottles than she could ever drink on her own. Gladio was glad about that. At least, he didn't need to have a bad conscience about drinking up her whole stock of wine bottles.

Not like at these fancy events when everyone judged you with their stern gazes whenever you drank more than one glass. No wonder these events were never fun if you weren't allowed to get at least a bit tipsy. Sometimes Gladio wondered if Ignis had ever been tipsy. Or even more. Would he be more honest and emotional after drinking?

At some point, Faba decided she has had enough of talking and drinking. Without further ado, she opened the zipper of his pants. Well, Gladio wasn't complaining about that either. Furthermore, he could still continue drinking while she was kneeling in front of him, her mouth filled otherwise. The spark in her eyes showed that she didn't mind. Instead, she was getting even more eager, doing her best to drag his attention from the wine bottle to her.

When had he even started drinking from the _bottle_? Whatever. Trying to concentrate on the other good part of the evening -which wasn't made out of alcohol- he looked down into Faba's eyes. They were sharp like Iggy's eyes. They were brown, a beautiful deep dark color, yet he missed the refreshing green of Ignis's eyes. He wondered what Ignis would look like in this position.

His cock twitched at the mere thought, and his hand reached for the wine bottle again. It wasn't fair to Faba to think about anyone else right now. 

At some point, she had crawled into his lap, riding him while he leaned back against the backrest of the couch. He liked how enthusiastic and energetic she was. And he didn't miss how much she liked it. It was no secret that she enjoyed being the one who was in control. 

If Ignis liked to be in control during sex as well? Would he prefer to take someone or to get taken? Was he even into men? Was he even into someone? Or did he just like looking at piercings and tattoos like they were some kind of art? Would Ignis ride him like that? Or would he be disgusted at the mere thought? Grossed out by sex? Would he get sick just thinking about it?

Gladio felt sick just thinking about that.

No, he felt sick for real. Like, really sick.

"Shit," he exclaimed before pressing a hand to his mouth. Faba seemed to get the message, stumbling out of his lap at once.  
"Second door on the left," she shouted as Gladio had already started to run towards the bathroom.

That had never happened to him before. At least not during sex. He felt like a stupid teenager who didn't know his limits. 

Faba had offered him to stay and had given him a bottle of water, but that bottle had only made his mind racing again. Stammering some apologies and excuses, he left her flat, water bottle in hand. 

Not feeling well enough to go by train, he simply walked through the city. Insomnia was dark and quiet on a Sunday night. The moon and stars were covered by thick clouds, the few street lamps the only light in this darkness. 

Gladio was feeling lost. 

He didn't want to go home. For a moment, he was pondering to call Nyx, but it was after midnight by now, and the glaive had to work tomorrow. Gladio didn't want to bother him - again.

Eventually, his shaky legs had carried him to a park in the neighborhood. Flopping down to a bench, he leaned back, looking up at the dark sky. Yet when he faced nothing but darkness, his thoughts wandered again, and he saw Ignis before his inner eye. The advisor had looked so happy and relaxed when they had chatted about books on that Friday three weeks ago.

Taking a deep breath, Gladio shook his head. Didn't he want to stop thinking about him all the time?

Thanks to the movement, he was feeling dizzy again. He opened the water bottle to take a sip. Afterwards, his thumb was tracing the head of the bottle. The plastic felt smooth beneath his finger. Liber and Aegis had shared an indirect kiss like this. Only one day after Gladio and Ignis had shared an indirect kiss thanks to a glass of Pumpkin Spice Latte.

That had been on the same weekend, hadn't it? 

To check, Gladio took out his phone. As he reloaded the page, he saw that the author had replied to his comment. 

Writer0509:  
_Love is indeed bittersweet. Feelings change so much about how you take in your environment or other people's actions. Even the smallest trivial matter can shake up the whole world of a person - in a good or bad way._  
_What is nothing more than a minor joy to another person can make you feel all over the moon. While even the smallest negative issue, neglectable and forgettable to others, can hurt you deeply._  
_That's what love does to a person: everything feels like so much more._  
_And once you realize you have fallen for someone, it is already too late to go back unharmed._

Somewhere along reading the reply, Gladio had started to cry.

And this time, he couldn't hold back on the tears anymore.

Even after putting his phone away, he didn't stop crying.

When the clouds broke above him, he didn't stop crying.

An endless number of raindrops were falling on him, but he didn't stop crying.

The cold wind made him shiver, but he didn't stop crying.

He was desperately clinging to the bottle of water like some kind of lifeline, but he didn't stop crying.

The plastic was crumbling beneath his firm grip, but he didn't stop crying.

The water was spilling out, but he didn't stop crying.

Hours were passing, but he didn't stop crying.

Delivering a letter was a small trivial matter, but he didn't stop crying.

Giving someone else's love letter to your love interest was the right thing to do, but he didn't stop crying.

He didn't stop crying because he was in love with Ignis.

He didn't stop crying because being in love wasn't a small trivial matter.

He didn't stop crying _because being in love hurt_. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you've enjoyed reading! Feel free to drop a comment, reading your thoughts and impressions keeps me going ♥
> 
> I'm using Twitter on a daily basis, so if you're ever interested in any updates, you know where to look!  
> [Check out my Profile to find me on Tumblr or Twitter!](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SophiaHoppia/profile)  
> [Or simply check out my other fanfictions!](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SophiaHoppia/works)


	7. The bitter Truth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a short heads-up: Things go down in this chapter.
> 
> Also, from here on out the chapters are a bit longer than the previous ones XD'

When the alarm on his phone went off, Gladio realized he had spent the whole night sitting on a park bench, crying. If that wasn't pathetic, then what was?

Honoring his duty towards the Crown and trying to keep up the illusion of being a fully-functional responsible adult, Gladio stood up and walked towards his home. He had to get ready for work - if he wanted to or not.

His legs were sore from sitting in the cold for too long, but at least he wasn't feeling dizzy anymore - most of the alcohol broken down already. However, he still felt sick and had a headache. But that was to be expected after too much drinking and too much crying.

Hoping that either his family wasn't yet awake or already out of the house, he opened the front door. Since the lights were on, this hope got crushed at once. Maybe he would manage to sneak to his room without meeting anyone. Or perhaps he didn't look as horrible as he felt.

Gladio had only taken off his soggy shoes at the entrance door as he heard his sister's voice.  
"Gladdy?" Iris asked, looking around the corner. Her voice was still sleepy for once as she rubbed her left eye, stuffed animal in her right hand.   
"Come on, Iris," Jared said after taking only one glance at him. "Let's go to your room and pick out a nice dress for you to wear today."   
His sister curiously tried to look at him, but the butler gently ushered her out of the room.

"Gladiolus," his father said, voice as stern as ever. The older Amicitia was standing at the door frame to the dining room. "What happened?"

"Nothing," Gladio answered without meeting his gaze as he walked past him.

"Son," Clarus said, and Gladio stopped at once, biting down on his quivering bottom lip. Even at his age, he wasn't able to go against his father's authority. 

The silence stretched on endlessly.

"It's okay to ask for help," Clarus mentioned, making Gladio's eyes water up again. He still didn't dare to look at his father, wouldn't show any weakness. 

"I'm alright," he whispered, his voice sounding small and broken.

"No, you're not," Clarus stated without judgment. "You can always talk to me, son. I'll listen."

Taking a deep breath, Gladio seriously considered it. His dad was strict, but he loved his family. Nonetheless, Gladio didn't feel like talking about his feelings and disappointing his father right now.

"Shit, I'm late for work," the older one suddenly cursed after checking his watch. "Should I call in sick to stay home with you?"

"What? No, no, no," Gladio exclaimed at once, reflexively turning around to his dad, whose eyes widened in shock.

"You look _horrible_ ," the older Amicitia stated. "I'm staying at home."

"No, that's not necessary! Regis needs you. Please, dad, I'm fine. I've got this under control," Gladio said once more as Clarus had already taken out his phone about to call the king.

"You're neither fine nor do you have anything under control," his father stated the painful truth without mincing his words. He often did that.

They kept staring at each other for a while, none of them backing down as if this were a challenge. Gladio didn't know how convincing he looked after a night without sleep, too much alcohol, and too many tears. 

"Alright," Clarus eventually answered with a sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I'll go now. But remember that I won't watch this going south much longer. I have already said this, and I don't want to have to repeat myself once more: It can't go on like this."

"I know," Gladio admitted, subdued. Clenching his fists, he looked down to the wooden floor.

"Stay at home, and use the time to think about this. I'll tell Cor and His Highness that you're out of order today."  
"Thanks, Dad," the younger one answered.  
"Don't make me regret this."  
"I won't," he replied sincerely.

After taking a long, hot shower, Gladio wrote another short apology to Faba. Next, he did the most reasonable thing in his current situation and went to bed to catch up on sleep.

When he woke up at noon, he was already feeling a bit better. Picking his phone up from the nightstand, he read his messages. Faba had assured him once again that it wasn't such a big deal, and they could always meet up again. She really was a nice girl.

Since the circles under his eyes weren't as dark anymore and his eyes were only a bit red and swollen, he dared to leave his room again. 

Once he had Iris convinced that he was just lacking some sleep but was otherwise feeling fine, his sister was happy to spend some time with him. Gladio had promised his father to use his time at home to think about his problems, but he had done enough thinking last night. For now, he didn't want to remember anything related to Ignis. That's why spending time with his sister was a welcome distraction.

When Jared and Iris had left to buy groceries, Gladio decided to stay at home. Even if he felt a bit better, he wasn't in the mood for a supermarket full of people.

Of course, that was the exact moment that the doorbell rang. After shortly pondering to ignore it, Gladio eventually got up nonetheless. 

He opened the door, and there stood the one person he wanted to stop thinking about but couldn't because he loved him.

"Ignis?!" He blinked unbelievingly, thinking that his mind was playing tricks on him. But the man still stood there, expression unreadable, a paper bag from a coffee shop in his hand.

"Good afternoon, Gladiolus," the advisor greeted politely as ever, with his beautiful thin lips and his seductive voice. "May I come in?"

"Oh, um, of course," Gladio answered, looking left and right to stop staring at Ignis's beautiful face. Taking a step to the side, he made room to let the other man in. Since Ignis was dressed as prim and proper as always, Gladio suddenly felt terribly underdressed in his comfortable yet plain white t-shirt and gray sweatpants. 

"I am sorry for coming by unannounced," the advisor apologized as Gladio led him to the living room. "Noct mentioned you were staying home today. He was worried, so he asked me to look after you."

A short snort left Gladio. "How old does he think I am? Five?" In truth, he was disappointed that Ignis hadn't come by on his own accord. 

"My, my, certainly not. I assure you Noct was simply worried," Ignis emphasized as they sat down on two of the three different sofas standing opposite each other. The low coffee table was between them, and Ignis placed the paper bag on it.

"I didn't want to come empty-handed, so I stopped by that coffee shop we'd visited last Saturday," the advisor explained nonchalantly, but Gladio had a bad feeling already.

_Shit._ Why had Ignis gone to this coffee shop of all places?

"I wanted to bring you a Pumpkin Spice Latte, but _Faba_ suggested a peppermint tea instead," Ignis stated matter-of-factly, placing the plastic cup in front of Gladio. 

_Fuck._ And of course, Faba was working today. How much bad luck could he even have?

"Oh, thanks," Gladio replied as he picked up the tea, noticing that Ignis had brought a black coffee for himself. No Pumpkin Spice Latte. Well, why should he? Coffee was still his favorite. Furthermore, Ignis wasn't such a hopeless romantic fool like Gladio, who loved Pumpkin Spice Latte even more now because of an indirect kiss.

"Why did she know that you're in need of peppermint tea?" the advisor asked, his eyes sharp, observing Gladio's every reaction.

The shield took in a deep breath, eyes darting to the side for a moment. The last thing that Gladio wanted was to tell Ignis about how fucked-up he'd been last night. And especially not _why_ he had even gotten so negative. "Well, she probably guessed that right when you told her you were visiting someone who called in sick today."

"Hmm," Ignis hummed thoughtfully, taking a sip from his coffee. "There are cookies as well if you're feeling up to it," he added. Opening up another paper bag, he revealed a batch of chocolate chip cookies.

"Ah, thanks," Gladio replied but didn't reach out for them. He didn't trust his stomach yet.

"You're alone?" Ignis asked after a while, even if it only was to break the silence.  
"Only for a moment. Jared and Iris have gone grocery shopping," Gladio explained.  
"Iris must have been delighted to have you home for a day," Ignis said, a soft shimmer in his eyes that made Gladio's stomach flutter.  
"You don't believe how much," he confirmed, and Ignis chuckled.

_Chuckled_. Gladio couldn't help but smile.

"Did she do your hair again?"  
"What?" The shield blinked in confusion, and there was a short moment of shock in Ignis's eyes.  
"Nothing. Please forget I've said anything," the advisor replied, taking a sip from his coffee.

"Why did you-" Gladio's eyes widened in realization. _No way_. "Please tell me you haven't seen _that_ picture."

"I wouldn't want to lie to you, so I can't say that," the advisor stated, and Gladio groaned.  
"When? _How?_ "  
"A mere coincidence," Ignis explained with a sigh. "I was at Noct's apartment when his father paid him a visit. Of course, your father was with him as well. And that happened to be at the exact time that Jared sent the picture to master Clarus." 

Gladio felt the color leaving his face. "You've all seen that horrible picture of me with glittery, colorful hair accessories?! You? Noct? _King_ Regis?!" 

"Yes?" Ignis almost didn't dare to confirm.

Hiding his face behind his hands, Gladio groaned. "My life is over. They'll tease me about this forever."

"Now, now, don't be dramatic. It was cute," the other man mentioned.

_Cute_.

Gladio looked up in shock at the exact moment Ignis realized what he had said. "It was cute to see what you do for your sister," the advisor elaborated, taking a sip from his coffee as if he tried to hide behind the plastic cup.

"Ah, well, yeah. It has made Iris happy," Gladio admitted.

"I'm sure it did," Ignis answered, a fond smile on his face.

"Speaking of making someone happy," Gladio paused to take a deep breath, "have you answered Verecunda's letter already?"

"Oh." The advisor cleared his throat. "I have. Although I'm afraid no matter how careful I have chosen my words, my reply won't make her happy."

"Why?"

Ignis frowned. "Well, I don't reciprocate her feelings, so I had to decline. It's not easy to hurt someone knowingly, but I think being honest was the right thing to do."

"Remember that fanfiction about Aegis and Liber I've mentioned?" The words had left his mouth before his brain had even caught up with it.

"Yes?" Ignis replied carefully, observing.

"Liber had received a love confession as well," Gladio stated, watching Ignis's facial expression that was as stoic as ever.

"From Aegis?"

"No," Gladio frowned in confusion, "from a random girl. He declined."

"I see. That must have been painful for that girl," Ignis stated before suddenly his eyebrows went up for a short moment. It wasn't long, but Gladio hadn't missed it. It was as if the advisor had come up with something. "I hope he handled that better than Frigidus had done in Sola Altera Fabula Amoris. Have you read that book?"

"Oh, I have," Gladio's eyes lit up in delight. "It was a nice story, but Frigidus really was an asshole."

"I would have chosen a different wording, but you are not wrong," Ignis said in amusement. "What was your favorite scene in that book?"

"When Heros punched Frigidus right into the face and swooped up Virago right before his eyes." Gladio was grinning widely only by remembering that scene.

"I thought so," the advisor chuckled. "That part was written quite exquisitely."   
Gladio nodded in agreement.

"Oh, I'm afraid I have to go now. I need to catch the next train," Ignis stated after checking his watch, already getting up.

"Huh? What's with your car?" Gladio asked, getting up as well.

"I'm getting my new car a week later than planned, but I have already sold my old car on Saturday," Ignis explained as they walked to the door.

"Oh, that sucks."  
"No need to worry, it's only for a week. I'll manage," Ignis replied with a smile. "Well, then," the advisor began to say his goodbye, but Gladio interrupted him.

"Wanna meet up at that coffee shop on Saturday? Have a Pumpkin Spice Latte instead of tea and coffee? Talk about some books?" Gladio asked, surprised by his forwardness.

"I-" Ignis blinked as he broke off his reply. His gaze went from Gladio's face to the cup in his hand, then back up to Gladio. A million emotions were running behind the advisor's eyes, but Gladio couldn't interpret even one of them. "I'm sorry," Ignis eventually declined. "I already have plans for Saturday. Have a nice evening. Goodbye."

Before Gladio could answer anything, Ignis had already left the house in a hurry.

Perplexed, Gladio kept standing where he was. Never before had he seen so many emotions on the advisor's face. His stoic poker face had been slipping. But why? Had Gladio's question been so unexpected? He had made sure to not let it sound like an invitation to a date, afraid to push too much.

His pondering came to an abrupt end as Jared and Iris came back home.  
"Why are you standing in the hallway, Gladdy?" Iris asked in confusion.  
"Ah, I heard you coming back and wanted to help to carry the bags," he came up with as an answer, taking the shopping bags out of their hands. While his sister was content with this answer, Jared noticed cookies and the paper bag on the coffee table. However, humble as he was, the butler didn't say a word.

Clarus had come home in time for dinner, which was unusual for a workday. Since Gladio knew that it was only because his father was worried about him, he made sure to eat dinner with his family, doing his best to smile and behave normally. 

Fortunately, Iris's cheerfulness had worked like a magic spell on them all, and dinner went by without any incidents or awkward situations.

No one questioned it when Gladio returned to his room afterwards. He had just laid down in bed as his phone rang.

"Yo, Nyx," he picked up his phone, greeting his friend.  
"Hey, eagle boy. Sorry, I'm calling only now, been busy escorting important people today," the glaive answered with a sigh.   
"I don't even have to ask to know that it was another of these stiff councilmen you despise," Gladio mentioned with a snort.

"Good, then we can stop talking about my day and talk about your day. Although I have a feeling that we need to start even earlier. Last night? Whole Sunday?"  
"I was just hung-over," Gladio stated vaguely.  
"Come on, eagle boy. I don't wanna have to drag everything out of you again," Nyx sighed on the other end of the line.

"I really was hung-over, Nyx," Gladio repeated.  
"Yes, yes. I believe you. I just know that that's only half of the story. _So_?" the glaive was stretching the last word, expecting Gladio to spill the beans.

"I've been with Faba, a waitress from that coffee shop I visited last Saturday," the shield gave in and started to explain.   
Nyx hummed to indicate that he was listening.  
"She had too much wine at home, or maybe I've just been drinking too much."  
The glaive snorted in amusement, already guessing where this was going.

"My thoughts just didn't stop running, so I didn't stop drinking," Gladio admitted finally.  
"What kind of thoughts, eagle boy?"  
"I imagined Ignis when she was sucking me off."  
Nyx sharply sucked in some air.   
"And when she rode me, I wondered what Ignis would look like riding me. Riding anyone. If he would even want that. Or if he's disgusted by sex. If he felt sick just thinking about it. And then suddenly _I_ felt sick and-"

"Please don't tell me you puked on her during sex," Nyx implored, sounding grossed out.  
"I made it to the bathroom on time," Gladio answered truthfully to put his friend's mind at ease.  
"Thank the Six." Nyx sighed in relief.  
"Yeah," the shield confirmed. "And then I just spent the rest of the night sinking into self-pity on some random park bench while that rainstorm was raging. You know, how I can get."

"Oh, eagle boy," Nyx whispered softly into the phone. "Next time, you call me before it gets this bad. No matter what time it is," he added before Gladio could speak up.  
"Didn't wanna bother you again after Friday night," Gladio admitted. "And after Saturday," he added.  
"You _never_ bother me," Nyx said sincerely. "Got that? Never."  
"Thanks, man." Gladio pinched the bridge of his nose. Why couldn't he take his friend up on his offer and rely on him more often?  
"Not for that, eagle boy," the glaive stated and blew him a kiss through the phone. A short chuckle tumbled from Gladio's lips.  
"You're cheesy."  
"You like it," Nyx replied.  
"I do."

It was silent for a while.  
"I meant what I said on Saturday morning," his best friend reminded him of.  
"Huh?"  
"I'll help you find out if pretty boy is into someone or something or whatever."  
"Nyx, that-"  
"Ah, ah, ah," he tutted. "Let me be your wingman, eagle boy. I've got a feel for things like that."  
"Alright," Gladio gave in, knowing full well that his friend never backed off again once he had said his mind. "Thanks."  
"You're welcome. We'll talk again tomorrow."  
"Yeah, night."  
"Good night, eagle boy. Sleep well, and dream about our steamy night last Friday when you clung to me, moaning-"

Gladio hung up.  
Nyx was his best friend, but he could be such a smug tease. 

Their promised talk on Tuesday evening had to get canceled since Nyx had suddenly been assigned with an important mission. The glaive had quickly texted him that he should be back by Friday and that he didn't think Ignis was asexual or aromantic. Yet he didn't state how he had come to that conclusion. Gladio didn't believe it anyway. Why should Nyx know more about Iggy after only three sessions of magic training? Gladio had known the advisor much longer. Surely he knew him better.

On Wednesday morning, Gladio got called to the king's office. It wasn't that unusual, but Gladio still had a bad feeling about it. Once he arrived, Regis asked him to attend two council meetings in Ignis's stead since the advisor had taken a day off. At first, Gladio was worried that the other was sick, but the king reassured him that Ignis was fine.

Not wanting to object to his king, Gladio accepted things as they were and went to the council meetings. He did his best to take notes, knowing that he had to inform Noct about everything later. Yet he spent most of the time wondering why Ignis had taken a day off all of a sudden. It was unusual for a workaholic like him. 

After one of the most boring days of his work life, Gladio drove over to Noct's apartment. He had no idea how Ignis managed to stand these meetings on a regular basis. Gladio was done for - even after only one day and with coffee.

Ringing the bell at the front door, he didn't have to wait long until Noctis opened up.

But as soon as his gaze fell on Gladio, his face was taut with anger.   
"Fuck off!!" The prince exclaimed, and Gladio had to thank his reflexes for putting his foot into the door before it slammed shut again.

"The hell, Noct?!" Gladio shouted in confused anger, having no idea how he had earned that outburst.

"I don't want to see your face today! Or tomorrow," the prince added in rage. "So fuck off!"  
"You little brat, let me in," Gladio yelled, trying to pull open the door by force.

"No!" Noctis denied, pulling on the door to shut it again. 

"You damn-" Gladio cursed, but all of a sudden, Noctis had let go of the door. Due to the sudden loss of opposing forces, the shield tumbled a few steps back. The door shot open, loudly banging against the wall. 

"Out of my face," his prince ordered, looking down on him. His voice was quieter than before but as stern and regal as it could get. Gladio was perplexed. Noctis rarely pulled his rank on him, but when he did, it was serious.

Clenching his fists in anger, Gladio took a few deep breaths to calm down.  
"I've only dropped by to bring you your reports, _your highness_ ," he declared but couldn't refrain from smacking the papers to the floor with too much force. 

Without sparing another glimpse at his charge, he turned around and left. 

Gladio was furious as he walked back to his car. What the hell was wrong with Noct? Was the boy still angry because Gladio had left so suddenly on Friday night and only replied to his message on Saturday morning? Sure, that hadn't been his best move, but he had had his reasons. And instead of throwing a tantrum like that, Noct could have asked him for his reasons first. 

In his rage, Gladio kicked against a street light. Some passersby were looking at him. When they met his angry gaze, however, they hurried to walk away.

Letting out a sigh, Gladio got into his car. He was mad. He needed to let off some steam. He-

Pulling out his phone, he typed a quick message to Faba. 

Gladio:  
 _Hey Faba <3_  
 _Can I drop by today and make it up to you for Sunday?_

Fortunately, the cheerful waitress didn't hold a grudge against him, and Gladio went over to her flat once again. Without wine, they shared an enjoyable evening and an even better night. At some point, they had started a contest about who could leave more hickeys on the other. It had been fun and felt good. Gladio didn't mind that the red and purple marks were visible on his neck. Instead, he wore them like a trophy. 

As expected, he was the talk of the Citadel on Thursday. Conservative old councilmen turned up their noses at him, some of the glaives knowingly wiggled their eyebrows at him, and the maids were either whispering or giggling.  
Domicella winked and gave him finger guns, a wide smirk on her face as they passed by each other in the hallway. She was a nice girl. 

Gladio relished all the attention he got. He knew he was hot and wanted, but he didn't mind getting it confirmed from time to time. 

From what he'd heard, Ignis was back to work today, but he didn't see him all day. Somehow, that cast a cloud over his good mood. It's like the one person whose attention he sought the most was ignoring him. Gladio shook his head. He wasn't getting ignored. Iggy was just busy with work - as always.

Gladio wished that he could spend the evening with Nyx, but his best friend was still away on a mission. Therefore, Gladio simply went home after work.

"Hey, mister popular," Domicella called out to him on Friday as he was taking a break at the backyard of the Citadel. 

"Hi, there! Have you been a good girl?" he added with a suggestive smirk.

"Of course, sir," she saluted, and they both laughed. 

She leaned against the wall right next to him, face turned up to the sun, eyes closed. 

"I just wanted to thank you again for delivering Verecunda's letter," she said after a while, breaking the comfortable silence.

"Oh," Gladio cleared his throat, trying to ignore the knot forming in his stomach, "no big deal."

"It was a big deal. At least for Verecunda," Domicella uttered with a sigh.

' _Even the smallest trivial matter can shake up the whole world of another person - in a good or bad way_ ,' Gladio suddenly remembered the author's words. He pinched the bridge of his nose.

"You okay?" Domicella watched him with a worried expression, cocking her head. 

"Yeah, yeah, sure," he confirmed at once, nervously grabbing the back of his neck. "She has already gotten a reply, yeah?" he asked, hoping to sound casual enough.

"Ah, yes, on Monday." A small sigh left her lips. "It was such a lovely letter."

"What?" he exclaimed, staring at her in shock.

"Oh, not like that. Verecunda showed the letter to me. He rejected her. I guess you already knew that being friends with him and all that." she explained in a hurry. Looking up at the sky, she once again had a dreamy expression on her face. "Still, there was so much thought behind every word he had written. He carefully explained that he didn't wish to hurt her pure feelings but that his heart already belonged to someone else. I can't even express it as well as he did. But there was so much love and care in his writing. I could feel it in each and every carefully chosen word. He would be a good master."

She sighed again, but Gladio didn't even hear it anymore. His thoughts were running in circles, and he felt his stomach turn. Ignis's heart belonged to someone else? Ignis had _feelings_ for someone? _Romantic_ feelings?

That, no, that couldn't be.

"Ignis," he said, cursing how rough his voice suddenly sounded. "In love?"

"Surprising, isn't it? I had no idea there could be so much warmth hidden beneath his cold, stoic mask. Guess Verecunda has a better eye for people's true nature than I do," she admitted with a pout. Suddenly her eyebrows went up in realization. "Wait, you didn't know he's in love? I thought you were friends? That's why I said you could deliver her letter."

"Ah, I," he stuttered, rubbing the back of his neck. Ignis was his friend, wasn't he? Gladio would say so. But did the advisor see it like that as well? Gladio still had the feeling that, on Monday, Ignis had rejected his offer for a coffee date with a lame excuse. "He doesn't talk about that kind of stuff."

" _Aaw_ , he's shy? That's so cute!" she giggled. 

"Domicella!" Another maid was calling out to her from a nearby open window.

"Coming!" she shouted back before she looked at Gladio. "Sorry, mister popular. Gotta get back to work! I wish you a nice day, sir," she bowed to him, half-playfully, half-serious.

"Be good!" he answered, somehow managing a smile.

It crumbled from his face as soon as she was out of sight, though. 

_Ignis was in love?_   
A desperate laugh tumbled from his lips. It couldn't be. Maybe the girls had gotten that wrong? His mind was racing. There had to be a logical explanation for that. The only things Ignis loved were his work, coffee, and Noct.

_No way._  
No, no, no. Iggy and Noct weren't like that. Besides, it was obvious that the prince was head over heels for his blond best friend. Yet, that wouldn't stop Ignis from having feelings for the prince. 

Gladio couldn't deny that these two had always been close. They shared a bond he lacked. But they had grown up together. They were like brothers. Maybe that was it? Ignis was loving Noct like a brother? A family member? It was no secret that the advisor was full of affection for his duty and their charge. However, that wouldn't be a reason to decline a romantic love confession while saying that his heart already belonged to someone else. Maybe his heart belonged to his job? But somehow, that didn't sound right either.

Gladio was getting a headache. He needed to talk to Nyx about this.

Unfortunately, the glaive didn't pick up his phone. He was probably still on duty. While he had said that he'd be back on Friday, he hadn't mentioned at what time.

Clicking his tongue, Gladio stared at his phone. He had agreed to spend the afternoon training with Crowe, but he really wasn't in the mood for that anymore. Sending her a quick text that something important came up and they'd meet another time, Gladio went home.

At home, Gladio was alone for once. His father was rarely there in the afternoon, so that was no surprise. He didn't know where Jared and Iris were, but he vaguely remembered that they had mentioned some plans for today. A shopping trip or something? 

Gladio sighed. His head was a mess.  
Quickly, he checked his phone: no missed calls, no new messages. 

Nyx would surely call him back as soon as possible, so there was no use in trying again.

Restless, he walked up and down in the living room before he finally gave up, flopping to the couch face first. 

Ignis being in love with someone? No, that couldn't be.  
The thought was absurd. Just as absurd as the thought that the author of this fanfiction might be someone he knew. How low were the odds? Especially since the only person who really could know all this stuff that happened to him would be...  
 _No._   
Desperate chuckles filled the otherwise silent room. Now he was going crazy.

He only realized he had drifted off to sleep when his phone rang.   
"Nyx?" he mumbled sleepily, having picked up the call without opening his eyes.  
"Eagle boy, something is wrong with pretty boy." His was serious as it lacked his usual teasing tone.  
"What?" Gladio stood up so fast, he was getting dizzy. "Is he hurt?"  
"Huh? Oh, no! Sorry," the glaive apologized at once. "He's not hurt, but something is definitely wrong."

"What do you mean?" Impatiently, Gladio raked a hand through his hair.  
"I thought _you_ could tell me," his best friend replied.  
"What?" Gladio frowned, sitting back down on the couch. "I haven't seen him since Monday."  
"He still seemed fine on Tuesday," the glaive mumbled. Gladio heard the familiar sound of Nyx walking up and down. He always did that when he was deeply in thought.

"Nyx, you're scaring me. What's going on?"  
"I," the glaive heaved a sigh. "Sorry, eagle boy. Maybe I'm just seeing things."  
"I don't even get where you're coming from," the shield admitted.

"Sorry, okay, wait," the glaive took a deep breath, collecting his thoughts. "So I came back from that mission this afternoon and immediately rushed to the training halls. Didn't wanna skip our magic training."  
"Okay," the shield said, anxiety rising up in him as to what came next.

"I was about five minutes late when I entered the training hall. That's when I saw him: sitting there, staring at the wall."  
Gladio blinked as he noticed Nyx had stopped talking. "And?" he prompted, pulling up an eyebrow even though the other didn't see it.

" _And_? Are you still asleep, eagle boy?" Nyx asked, and Gladio knew it wasn't the time to be impressed that his friend had noticed he had been sleeping right before picking up the call. "Ignis Scientia doesn't sit around idly, doing _nothing_."  
"Well, that's," a frown found his way to Gladio's forehead, "weird."

"At first, I didn't think much of it," Nyx admitted. "I thought even he might need a break once in a while."  
"But?"  
"But he was awfully quiet during training. He only spoke as much as was needed to avoid being impolite."  
"Maybe he's had a bad day?" the shield mumbled in thought.

"I don't know. It seemed like more than that. His gaze was so empty, eagle boy. No more fire burning behind these green eyes," the glaive sighed.  
"Now you're exaggerating," Gladio mentioned.  
"Wish I were," Nyx said honestly. "And don't make me start talking about his magic."  
"What do you mean?"

"It was our fourth lesson, but he sucked more than ever before. He didn't manage to cast fire magic, even though that's usually his strong point. We tried it with lightning next. He managed to produce a few sparks but couldn't shape their form. That's usually a sign of lack of concentration," Nyx explained. "Next, his ice magic went completely out of control. I'm still shivering, eagle boy. It was like a snowstorm raging down on me all of a sudden."

"Shit," Gladio mumbled.  
"Yeah. I called off the lesson early before someone got hurt," Nyx explained. "He simply apologized, bowed, and left. Didn't even try to convince me otherwise like he usually would."

As Gladio pinched the bridge of his nose, he noticed that his hands were shaking. Taking a few deep breaths, he tried to calm down.   
"You okay?" Nyx whispered worriedly.  
"Not sure, to be honest. Tell me what happened on Tuesday. As detailed as possible," Gladio implored. "You mentioned he was still okay then?"

"He was, yes," Nyx confirmed. "We were practicing with fire magic, so I took that as an excuse to take off of my shirt since it was _too hot_."  
"Of course, you did," Gladio snorted. Typical for Nyx.

"His gaze immediately fell on my piercing, and then he licked his lips before his eyes flicked back to my face," Nyx announced, sounding smug about it.  
Raking a hand through his hair, Gladio took a deep breath. There was that talk about Ignis and piercings again. "And you're sure you're not imagining this?"  
"Eagle boy. I _know_ when someone is checking me out," Nyx reprimanded him.  
"If you say so," the shield mumbled, still not convinced. It wasn't like Gladio didn't trust his friend's judgment. But Ignis checking someone out? Yeah, no. Never happened, never will. "What happened next?"

"Well, with all my irresistible charm, I smirked and said, ' _Like what you see?_ '" Nyx purred his last words into the phone, directly at his ear, and Gladio couldn't deny that he liked what he _heard_. Although that wasn't important right now. "And his answer?"  
"He said, and I quote, _'I don't think that is relevant to our current lesson in any way.'_ "  
"Hmm," Gladio hummed in thought. That sounded like Ignis.

"That's as good as a yes, trust me," Nyx announced, still smug.  
"Might be. Although that doesn't answer _how_ he liked it. Maybe he just thinks it's aesthetic or something?"  
"Why are you so desperately trying to deny that this guy isn't as prude as you always thought," Nyx asked, sounding a bit annoyed.  
"I'm not-" Gladio wanted to protest, but he gave up halfway through. "What else?"

An amused giggle left the glaive.   
"Next, we focused on casting fire magic to our daggers. In the beginning, it can be difficult to keep the spell up during an actual fight. I've gotta admit that he is really agile. At some point, he had managed to sneak up behind me. When I turned around, his eyes were widened in shock. At first, I was confused, but then I remembered what my back looked like," Nyx paused his narration, waiting for Gladio to catch on.

"Oh shit, no, you didn't-" the shield mumbled, feeling the color leave his face as he remembered his night with Nyx. How desperately he had _clung_ to him.

"I said, _'Oh, are the scratch marks still visible?'_ " the glaive continued his narration. "Next, at the same time he babbled something polite like, _'Pardon, I didn't mean to intrude,'_ I added, _'Gladio was a bit wild Friday night.'_ "

"Nyx!!" Gladio exclaimed in a rage, but the glaive only chuckled.  
"Ah, yes. You should have seen the fire burning in his eyes. He was _so jealous_ , eagle boy." It was like Gladio could hear his friend grinning smugly while wiggling his eyebrows.

"Fuck, Nyx! He wasn't jealous. He was angry! Since I left so suddenly on Friday that he got worried, only to spend the night _fucking_."

"Ah, yeah." Nyx cleared his throat. "Pretty boy tried to use that excuse as well, saying, _'So while others were worried about him, he was having fun.'_ "

Gladio slapped a hand to his face, groaning.

Nyx continued, undisturbed. "I simply shrugged my shoulders, explaining, _'He needed it, so I gave it to him.'_ He snorted then -that was kinda cute- before he answered, _'Friday you, later that waitress,'_ and I replied, _'Well, yeah.'_ "

"Wait. Wait, wait, wait, _fuck_ ," Gladio interrupted his friends, eyes wide in shock.  
"What? I was just being honest," Nyx stated simply.  
"But _I_ wasn't. Fuck!" Gladio cursed.  
"Huh? When?"

"Shit, I hadn't told you that," the shield realized, ruffling his own hair in desperation.  
"Told me what, eagle boy?" Nyx asked, his voice serious.  
"He visited me Monday afternoon," Gladio explained.  
"Oh?" Despite the serious situation, Nyx's teasing tone was back.  
"He wanted to bring me Pumpkin Spice Latte, but, of course, he went to that coffee shop where Faba works and during her shift no less." He sighed at all these coincidences.

"Oh, oh. I think I know where this is going," the glaive mumbled.  
"She suggested bringing me peppermint tea instead, probably since she knew I got wasted," Gladio remembered the events of that night with a deep sigh. "He asked me why she suggested that, and I just mentioned that she probably guessed that tea was better for a sick person. That wasn't really a night I wanted to tell him about."

"Yeah, that's understandable. Next time just tell him that you don't wanna talk about it. Better than lying," the glaive suggested.  
"I know," Gladio sighed, already regretting his choices. "And of course, you talked on Tuesday. If it had been today, he might have thought you referred to Wednesday."

"Oh? So that _waitress_ covered your neck in hickeys on Wednesday?"  
"How do you-"  
"Never underestimate my gossip sources, eagle boy." Nyx chuckled. "That was the first thing I heard once I came back this afternoon."  
Somehow Gladio didn't feel so proud about it anymore at that moment.

"Anyway," the glaive said, "you've gotta apologize to him for lying."  
"Yeah," Gladio sighed, knowing the other was right.

"So, where was I before you interrupted me?" Nyx pondered.  
"That wasn't all?" Gladio asked dreadfully, and his friend continued his narration.

"Well, we focused on training for a while then, before he suddenly paused, asking, _'Doesn't it bother you?'_ It took me a moment to realize what he was referring to, but then I looked him into the eyes, saying, _'We're not together if that's what you think, we're merely friends with benefits.'_ " 

Gladio took in a sharp breath.

"Immediately, he was asking, _'And that's enough for you?'_ so I was honestly telling him, _'I just want him to be happy. No matter what part_ I _play in that.'_ and then he went quiet. Actually, that was a bit weird already, now that I think about it," Nyx mumbled, frowning. "He was just standing there, staring at me without really seeing me. Like he realized something? Or remembered something, I guess. Cause an instant later, he said that he had another important appointment and therefore had to leave early. And then he was gone."

Closing his eyes, Gladio took a deep breath. What was that weird feeling he suddenly had? As if something terrible had happened.

"Was he any different these last days?" Nyx asked.  
"As I said, I haven't seen him since Monday," the shield admitted until he suddenly remembered something. "He had taken a day off on Wednesday."  
"A day off?" Nyx asked in disbelief.  
"Yeah."  
"Pretty boy?"  
"Yeah," Gladio confirmed again.  
"Ignis Scientia has taken a day off? Just like that? Suddenly? Unplanned?" Nyx repeated as if he couldn't believe it. "Now, I'm worried."

"I don't get it anymore." Once again, Gladio raked a hand through his hair. "What's going on?"  
"I don't know," Nyx replied. "Did the prince mention something?"

Gladio felt anger flaring up inside him. "The little brat refused to talk to me on Wednesday, and I haven't heard from him since then."

"Dude, what happened. Did you forget your sweetheart's birthday or something?"  
"Nah, that was in February already. One week before Valentine's Day."

"Hm," Nyx mumbled in thought before they both went silent. The footsteps of Nyx pacing back and forth in his room were the only sounds hearable.

"Sorry, eagle boy," the glaive said after a while, coming to a halt. "I don't think we'll get any further than this."  
"Yeah, there's too much we don't know," he admitted with a sigh.

"Maybe talk to the prince once you've both calmed down enough? I know how ugly your fights have gotten in the past." Nyx winced.  
"Yeah, can't deny that." Gladio let out a desperate chuckle.   
"You okay on your own, or do you wanna come over?" Nyx suggested.  
"Nah, I'm alright. You must be tired after your mission."  
"I am, but I meant it when I said that you never bother me," Nyx softly reminded him of his words.   
"Thanks, Nyx. But it's okay," Gladio insisted.  
"Alright, then. Later, eagle boy."  
"Later," he replied, putting down his phone.

With a groan, he flopped back down to the couch, burying his face in a cushion. 

Something was definitely going on, and the raging storm inside of him told him he needed to figure out what it was - _at once_.

Turning around, he lay on his back, hugging the pillow to his chest. Closing his eyes, he tried to remember Ignis's visit on Monday. Nothing had been out of the ordinary at first glance. Although he had looked suspicious when he had asked about Faba and the peppermint tea. Maybe Ignis had somehow called his lie back then already. And asked Nyx only to prove his suspicions. Yeah, that sounded like something a tactician like Iggy would do. Was that why he had rejected Gladio's invitation for coffee next Saturday? Since he was mad 'cause Gladio had lied? But that would be a bit drastic even for Ignis. It wasn't such a big issue, only a small matter.

Gladio frowned. 

No big issue but just a small matter. _A small trivial matter._  
Come to think of it, had Ignis successfully changed the topic when Gladio had started to talk about that fanfic again? He hadn't thought much of it back then, but had that been on purpose?

Not sure, what to expect, Gladio picked up his phone, reloading the first tab.

The fanfiction had a new chapter. Even though it wasn't Sunday yet. It had been updated two days ago. _Wednesday_.

With a dreadful feeling, Gladio sat up on the couch and began reading chapter 17.

_It was early in the morning when Liber was putting the new magazines on the stand. His life would be less hectic if these deliveries would, for once, arrive a day_ before _release like promised._

_But he knew that many people had worse troubles than him. The female music student hadn't shown up again since he rejected her confession last week. Eventually, she would have to return the books she had borrowed. Liber just hoped the young woman hadn't lost her interest in this library or books in general._

_"Morning!" Someone suddenly called out, making Liber frown. He was quite sure the sign at the entrance door still said_ closed.

_"I am terribly sorry, but we haven't opened-" His voice stopped as he realized who had just walked into the store. Aegis._

_"I know. That's why I'm here," the man answered, a proud grin on his beautiful face._   
_"Pardon me?" Liber asked, perplexed._   
_"You're always so busy during the day, so I dropped by earlier today," the fighter explained. The librarian could only stare at him. Was his mind playing tricks on him?_

_"Just wanted to ask you something, and then I'll be off again, letting you do your work," Aegis explained._   
_"Alright," Liber confirmed._

_"I happen to have a voucher for this new coffee shop," Aegis explained, pulling the paper out of his pockets, "two cups of coffee for the price of one. I'll invite you! Wanna go there after work?"_

_"Did your date cancel on you?" Liber inquired on reflex. It couldn't be that Aegis was asking him out._

_"No," the fighter replied at once, eyes darting to the side for a moment._ Ah, Aegis was lying _. He always averted his gaze when he lied. Liber had noticed it before._

_"So? What is it?" Aegis asked again as Liber didn't say anything else. "Wanna go on a date with me?"_

_A date with Aegis._   
_Liber's thoughts were racing. His heart was pounding so fast he was afraid the other would hear it. His stomach was fluttering, and his hands began to sweat and shake._

_He wanted to go on a date with Aegis. There wasn't anything he wanted more. He wanted to be with him, to talk with him, laugh with him, flirt with him, but-_

_"I'm terribly sorry, but I already have another appointment after work," he replied eventually, surprised by how steady his voice had sounded._

_"Oh," Aegis blinked, not having expected that answer. "Alright. See you another time then. Bye!"_

_"Goodbye," the librarian whispered, watching the man leave through the door._

_Even after Aegis had gone, Liber kept staring at the door. Although it was more like he was staring into space._

_He never thought the day would come when Aegis invited him on a date._   
_He never thought the day would come when he declined a date with Aegis._

_But he had to._

_And it was only then that he realized that he'd_ never _be able to accept going on a date with Aegis._

_It wasn't Aegis's fault but his own._

_Liber had realized long ago that they were too different. But he had kept on dreaming for as long as possible._

_Yet the dream was over now, and he had to face reality. They were_ too different _._

_The fighter didn't want him in the same way that the librarian wanted him._  
 _Aegis wanted to spend_ one night _with Liber, but Liber wanted to spend_ his whole life _with Aegis._

_And the librarian knew that his heart would break if he ever shared a night with the man of his dreams but had to let him go again the next day. Once you had tasted a treat, it was impossible to stop. It was better to decline completely._

_Furthermore, Aegis was living his life the way he wanted to. And Liber didn't want to change a thing about that._

_Because that was the man who he had fallen in love with._

_The only thing he wished for was for Aegis to be happy. No matter what part he played in that._

_Aegis was free like a bird, strong like an eagle, flying above everyone else. And Liber didn't intend to trap him. A man like Aegis had to be happy, smiling, joking; he had to be free, unfettered, unchained; he had to be himself._

_So Liber would let him go._

Gladio took a deep breath. He had always identified himself with Liber. Pining after a man who was out of his reach - for whatever reason. He had always understood Liber's feelings of love and longing for the other man.

But, what if...

What if Gladio was the _Aegis_ of this story? 

And what if Liber was...

_Oh._

Ignis?

No way.

A million thoughts were rushing to Gladio's mind.

No way. That couldn't be. It had to be a coincidence.

But if it wasn't a coincidence, if Ignis _was_ the author of this fanfiction and it was written from _his_ point of view, then-

No. He shouldn't mix up fiction and reality. 

But if-

Gladio felt sick. When had this started to go south? 

Turning on his phone again, he went back a few chapters. When had it started? The beginning had been nice and fluffy, but later, Liber had been hurt. 

Was it chapter 11? No, chapter 12. He scanned over the text, his eyes only taking in the important parts.

_He slammed his hands against the bookshelf, right and left of the woman's head._   
_Aegis leaned down, whispering something into her ear, and she laughed again._

Gladio closed his eyes. He remembered telling Prompto about taking that chick against the wall. When had that been? Four weeks ago? No, five. The same weekend that chapter had been published. 

But wasn't that the chapter where Liber had thought that-

He scrolled down.

_Liber felt sick._  
 _This had always been his safe space, where he had a rare moment to wallow in the illusion that Aegis wasn't such an unfaithful flirt._  
Before that, Gladio hadn't talked about his one-night stands at Noct's apartment when Ignis was listening in.

Knowing this was only going to hurt him didn't stop Gladio from going through the next chapters as well. He reread the sentences, only now realizing how they fit his life.

_He still resented Aegis for doing this._  
Ignis had been hurt.

_Of course, a popular man like Aegis, who could have everyone, wouldn't be interested in any boring librarian. That was the bitter truth._  
Gladio's rant about office guys because of his failed date with Numerus. 

_Aegis left the library today, not only with one but two women in his strong arms._  
Gladio had mentioned his threesome to shut Noct up.

_And Liber stayed behind._  
 _Alone._   
Ignis had been lonely.

He loaded chapter 14.

_Liber had had enough. His heart wouldn't be able to take that again._  
Ignis had been suffering.

_He had escaped to the furthest corner of the library._  
Ignis had been avoiding him that week.

_His heart was pounding, and his hands started to sweat. How long had it been since he had talked to Aegis? Too long._  
That fateful Friday when they had talked with each other for hours. 

Gladio knew exactly what the next chapter was about even before he had reloaded the page. 

_Their hands had touched!_  
When they had pinched each other after Noct had eaten that carrot cake.

_His hand was shaking as he slowly lifted the bottle to his own lips, taking a sip from the water - taking an indirect kiss from Aegis._  
An indirect kiss thanks to a glass of Pumpkin Spice Latte.

_Reality came crashing back to him as the training session ended. Aegis put his left arm around Hortulana's shoulders._  
Faba's phone number before leaving the coffee shop.

He immediately loaded the next chapter.

_Her pale skin was covered in freckles. She looked familiar._  
 _Please go out with me?_  
The love letter from Verecunda.

_And while she was such a perfectly lovely girl, Liber's heart didn't race when he looked at her._  
Ignis rejected Verecunda.

_"Is there someone else you-"_  
 _"Yes," he confirmed before she even finished her question._  
Someone else. 

Gladio took in a sharp breath, loading the newest chapter again.

_"No," the fighter replied at once, eyes darting to the side for a moment. Ah, Aegis was lying._  
Ignis had noticed his lie about Faba.

_"Wanna go on a date with me?"_  
Gladio had asked him out.

_He wanted to go on a date with Aegis._  
Ignis wanted to?

_"I'm terribly sorry, but I already have another appointment after work."_  
Ignis declined nonetheless.

_He realized that he'd_ never _be able to accept going on a date with Aegis._  
Never?

_And the librarian knew that his heart would break if he ever shared a night with the man of his dreams but had to let him go again the next day._  
He was afraid to get hurt. Afraid to get rejected after one night.

_Because that was the man who he had fallen in love with._  
Love.  
Gladio's lips quivered as hot tears began to stream down his cheeks.

_The only thing he wished for was for Aegis to be happy. No matter what part he played in that._  
Nyx's words to Ignis.

_Aegis was free like a bird, strong like an eagle, flying above everyone else._  
His fucking tattoo.

_And Liber didn't intend to trap him._  
As always, Ignis only thought about what was best for others, neglecting his own wishes and desires.

_A man like Aegis had to be happy, smiling, joking; he had to be free, unfettered, unchained; he had to be himself._  
Ignis truly loved him.

_So Liber would let him go._  
No. No, that couldn't be right. Gladio felt his stomach churning. Ignis had given up?

_Fanfiction status: Completed._  
No way. That couldn't be. It couldn't end like this. 

_New tags have been added._  
 _Unrequited love._  
No. 

_Sometimes loving someone means letting them go._  
No!

_No happy ending._   
NO! 

"Gladiolus?" 

Gladio looked up from his phone. His father was standing in the doorframe, looking at him in shock.

"Dad?" Dropping his phone on the couch, he stood up, his hand reaching out as if he couldn't believe the other man was truly standing there. His voice cracked up as even more tears rolled down his cheeks. "I've fucked up. I've made the biggest mistake of my life."

Clarus took in a sharp breath before he answered calmly. "Then it's time to perform some damage control, son. An Amicitia never goes down without a fight."

His father was probably right, but Gladio couldn't think clearly anymore. Everything hurt. And it was his own fault. He had messed this up. It was an Amicitia's duty to protect others, but he had only hurt Ignis. Deeply.

As he felt his knees giving in, a strong arm wrapped around him, letting him rest his head on a strong shoulder. 

And that was when he truly let go. He cried, and he screamed, coughing as his lungs yearned for air. Another strong hand was cupping the back of his head. 

Suddenly he felt like a little child again, crying his eyes out in his mother's arms or against his father's chest. Feeling weak and lost, he couldn't think clearly anymore. 

He could only cry.

More and more tears left his eyes as he lost track of time.

How could he have messed up so much? Why hadn't he realized it sooner? Why had he been so inattentive? Question after question, he felt more guilt and regret creeping up from inside of him.

"Everyone makes mistakes, son," his father whispered after a while.  
"Even you?" Gladio sniveled, eyes burning, voice hoarse.  
"More than you know," his father replied with such reassurance that Gladio felt a bit better. Maybe this wasn't the end of the world, after all. This didn't have to be the end of their story.

After taking a deep breath, Gladio leaned back, standing up straight again. "I've gotta go."  
"To do some damage-control?" his father asked, studying his eyes, one hand still holding Gladio's upper arm as if he was afraid his son would crumble and fall again.  
"Yes," the younger one answered, sniffling.  
Clarus smiled, using the sleeve of his shirt to wipe Gladio's face dry. "Then go, son."  
His father patted his back in encouragement, and then Gladio was already running out of the house.

He had no idea how to fix this all, but he knew that he had to talk to Ignis. He needed to know if Ignis was the author of this story. He needed to know if Ignis shared Liber's feelings.

Since it was Friday evening, Gladio had a good guess as to where the advisor might be. Since this counted as an emergency, he used his spare key to storm right into Noct's apartment.

Only the light at the dining table was on. Ignis and Noctis were sitting there, nothing but a can of Ebony and lemonade on the table.

It felt as if Gladio had walked in on the most private and intimate conversation ever. Ignis hadn't moved an inch and wasn't looking at him.

When the first shock about his sudden arrival had subsided, Noctis stood up. Gladio noticed how the prince was placing himself to block Gladio's view on Ignis. The shield walked a few steps closer, leaving the shadows of the room. 

There was a look of disgust and rage on the prince's face as he spotted the hickeys on Gladio's neck. Gladio closed his eyes, accepting the silent judgment.

"What do you want?" the prince asked, voice cold and emotionless.  
"Visit you?" the shield blurted out on instinct, opening his eyes again to see the prince's gaze darkening.

Everyone was quiet. For the first time ever, Gladio heard the hum of the refrigerator, the slight buzzing of the lamp flickering above the dining table, the ticking of the clock.

"It's alright, Noct," Ignis said quietly.  
"But-" the prince turned around, an unspoken conversation going on between him and the advisor.

Noctis sighed.   
"Toilet," he mumbled and left to go to the bathroom.

Ignis kept staring at his can of Ebony. 

The atmosphere in the room was tense.

Slowly, Gladio sat down at the table as well, clearing his throat. "Are you alright?"

"Of course," the advisor replied. Gladio, however, didn't buy it.

"I was just wondering because you weren't at work on Wed-"

"I had taken a day off. Even _I_ am allowed to do that every now and then, don't you think?" Ignis interrupted him, his voice sharp. Clenching his can of Ebony tighter, his knuckles turned white.

"Sure," the shield confirmed quietly, and an uncomfortable silence settled between them.

Ignis still refused to meet his gaze but took a deep breath. Both of his hands on his can of Ebony, he was moving it, turning it, looking at it as if he didn't know every word written on it by heart.

"So," Gladio cleared his throat, "I've noticed that this author had uploaded the last chapter to that fanfic-"

A loud sound was clattering through the silence of the room as the can fell, Ebony spilling out and covering the table in a dark brown.

In an instant, the prince came running out of the bathroom. "What happened?"

"Nothing," Ignis asserted as he got up to grab the dishcloth, using it to wipe up the spilled coffee. "My apologies, Noct. I'm afraid I have to leave now."

"Huh?" Noctis looked confused before he shot an angry look at Gladio. The shield only held up his hands in defense.

"I remembered that I need to finish some reports," Ignis stated, already grabbing his bag. He hadn't even finished wiping up all of the coffee.

"On a Friday night?" the prince asked.  
"Yes," the advisor responded, his eyes darting around nervously, realizing that everyone had called that obvious lie already. He was panicking.

"You can just finish them here, then. You wanted to stay overnight anyway, didn't you?" Noctis frowned.

"I forgot them at home," Ignis said.  
"But-" Any further retort got immediately interrupted.  
"I'm sorry, Noctis, but I need to go. _Now_ ," Ignis emphasized, not even using the prince's nickname anymore.

"I'll drive you home," Gladio suggested.

"What?" the prince and the advisor asked in unison, turning their heads around to him. Ignis's eyes widened as he noticed Gladio's neck covered in hickeys. An instant later, he averted his gaze completely. Never before had Gladio felt so ashamed, regretting his actions. What had once felt like a trophy suddenly weighed down on him now.

"You don't have a car this week, and you're in a hurry, right?" he explained, trying to keep this calm and casual. "Driving with me will be faster than using public transportation."

"No," Noctis denied, surprising both other men.  
"Please," Gladio exclaimed, bowing in front of them since he didn't know what else to do.

It was such a weird situation. They all knew there was more behind it than anyone let on. By now, Gladio was absolutely sure that these fanfictions had been written by Ignis. Of course, that didn't prove that the feelings Liber held for Aegis were the same feelings Ignis held for Gladio. But it couldn't be far from the truth. A truth that Noctis probably had known all along. That's why he had always been so angry with Gladio when he had once again unknowingly hurt Ignis's feelings.

"Alright," Ignis eventually replied with a sigh, and Gladio looked up in surprise.  
"Iggy," Noctis called out to him in worry.  
"It's okay, Noct. We will talk tomorrow."

The prince looked back and forth between them before he ruffled his own hair. "Fine. Do what you want."

"Thank you, Noct," Ignis answered, walking to the entrance door, putting on his shoes.

"Don't make it worse." Noctis raised a warning finger, and Gladio took in a sharp breath. 

"I don't intend to," he replied, knowing he couldn't _promise_ that this would go well.

They had walked to the car in complete silence. Gladio felt like awaiting his execution. Ignis still wasn't looking at him. It was a mystery to Gladio why the other man suddenly had accepted his offer even though he had been desperate about getting away from him mere seconds before. Had Ignis given him one last chance?

"Nyx was worried about you," Gladio remarked once he had started up the car, using his friend as an excuse to start a conversation.  
"I haven't been at my best these last few days, yet I will be again soon. No need for concern," Ignis answered, words polite as always, but the tone of his voice was tense.

Silence, once again, settled between them. Putting on the radio would be an easy way out of this dilemma. However, that wouldn't get him any step further, looking at the greater picture.

"I'm sorry for lying to you on Monday," Gladio suddenly burst out what was preying on his mind the most. For a second, Ignis looked at him, so Gladio took that as a sign to continue. "I didn't want to leave a bad impression on you. I had spent the evening with Faba, drank too much, and then I was getting lost in negative thoughts all night."

Admitting that hurt, even now. But if Gladio wanted to fix whatever was going on between them, he needed to be honest.

"I am in no way allowed to judge you," Ignis muttered quietly, gazing out of the window on the passenger side. "Even I'm mending the truth if I'm not comfortable talking about certain topics." 

Stopping at a red light, Gladio was thankful for the few extra seconds that earned him. The atmosphere in the car was still ominous. There was too much tension between the two men. Yet Gladio felt like they were getting somewhere. He couldn't explain where or how. It was just based on gut feeling. 

"What happened to your eyes?" The advisor asked, actually looking at him, and Gladio realized that this was the first time Ignis had started a conversation today. Yes, they _were_ getting somewhere. Just a bit more.

"Huh? Ah," Gladio let out a desperate chuckle. "Cried like a baby."  
"Why?" Ignis inquired, surprised by this honest answer.  
As the lights turned green, Gladio continued to drive.  
It was now or never.

"I have read the last chapter of this fanfiction about Liber and Aegis. It really got to me, made me realize a bunch of stuff," he confessed. Ignis took in a sharp breath, immediately averting his gaze again.  
"I see." It wasn't more than a whisper.

"At the end of the story, Liber gave up on Aegis," Gladio narrated, testing the waters, but Ignis didn't react in any way. "And," he cleared his throat, "that's just so sad. I mean, I get where Liber is coming from. He thinks that Aegis is too different from him, that he would only feel shackled by a relationship with Liber. But if these two had just," his grip on the steering wheel tightened, " _talked_ to each other, _confessed_ their feelings for-"

"What difference would that have made?" Ignis suddenly interrupted him, voice loud, looking at him for a short moment. "Liber had had his reasons for giving up. He had realized over and over again that Aegis's lifestyle was the complete opposite of his own. A simple confession of feelings wouldn't have changed that."

Gladio took a deep breath, choosing his words carefully. "But what if Aegis had reciprocated his feelings?"

Ignis took off his glasses, pinching the bridge of his nose, letting out some shaky breaths. For a moment, Gladio was worried that the other had started crying, but then he inhaled deeply. "No." Ignis softly exhaled again. "It would have been too late. Liber," he put his glasses back on, "wouldn't be able to accept it after he had made up his mind."

"Why?" Gladio asked. His voice sounded as broken as his heart felt.

"Because," Ignis hesitated, "Liber has admired Aegis - for years. He has observed him, always. He knows how many people Aegis has been with since then, how many _different_ people he's desired. Liber, as a single human being, could never compare to that. He could never fulfill all these desires. This isn't about a lack of self-confidence or fear. This is about Liber knowing that Aegis deserves the world, deserves _everything_." Despite the sad glimmer in his eyes, there was a small fond smile on Ignis's lips.

"What if Liber is Aegis's whole world? His everything?" Gladio returned in desperation.

A frantic huff left Ignis. "You don't believe that yourself. This isn't a cheesy romance novel."

"But," Gladio bit his bottom lip, gripping the stirring wheel ever harder. He refused to give up.

"This isn't _Aegis's_ fault," Ignis whispered, sounding guilty. "Liber is the one who is convinced that a long-term relationship wouldn't be possible. Even if it might work out for a while, eventually, Aegis would realize that this isn't enough for him. Liber's afraid that he's not enough for him. He's afraid to force his way of living onto someone else. He's afraid to change the man he loves into something that isn't him anymore. And," Ignis's voice broke. He squeezed his eyes shut, his lips quivering. His whole body was shaking as he failed to take in a deep breath.

Nervously chewing on his bottom lip, Gladio waited until the other seemed a bit calmer again. "And?" he prompted softly.

"Liber is a coward," Ignis whispered, and there was so much hurt in his broken voice, Gladio felt his heart stutter. "He is afraid to get hurt again. It has happened too often. He had gotten his hope up only to get it crushed again. Every time Aegis spent the night with someone else, every time he flirted with someone else, dated someone else; all these times, a part of Liber's heart got broken, a part of his hope got crushed. And in the end, there was nothing left. Just an empty shell, that -when Aegis had finally looked at him, finally asked him out- realized that he couldn't. And even that realization had hurt. Still does," he added quietly.

There was no denying that Gladio had hurt Ignis, even if it had been unknowingly and unintentionally. Furthermore, it had happened over a long period of time. The shield didn't know if he could fix that. But he wouldn't be Gladiolus Amicitia if he didn't try.

"It might take some time," Gladio spoke slowly, "but these wounds could heal again. They would leave scars, and sometimes they would hurt again. But it gets better."

Ignis took a deep breath. "A heart that has once been broken is very delicate."

"It is," Gladio confirmed. "And I'm afraid Aegis can be a really clumsy oaf in this regard," he laughed in desperation. "How should a guy like Aegis approach this?" Gladio felt a bit bad for asking, but he was at his wit's end. He wanted to fix this, yet he didn't know how to.

"I don't know, Gladiolus," Ignis replied, rubbing his temples. "I've thought this through a million times. There is no way for both of them to be happy together forever."

"There has to be a way." 

"Don't push it," Ignis whispered, close to tears.

"I'm sorry, but I have to. This is important," Gladio spoke up, his voice firm. He had no idea where this sudden strength was coming from. "It can't end like this. There has to be a way to fix this all. I get that Liber is hurt, desperate, lonely, vulnerable, afraid. And he is the kind of guy who thinks that he has to bear it all for the sake of others. But there has to be a way to convince him otherwise. Aegis would just have to, he would-" Gladio lost the thread as he parked the car in front of Iggy's apartment.

"Would have to prove that he is serious about this without losing himself," Ignis suddenly finished his sentence for him. 

"Serious and sincere, yes," Gladio confirmed. "However, Liber wouldn't believe or accept a simple confession at this point. We've already covered that part. But then, there has to be another way. A way to touch his heart. There has to be something that manages to reach out to him even in the coldest darkness."

Resting his forehead on the stirring wheel, Gladio let his thoughts race. He had to come up with something. There had to be something he could do to fix this. 

A link that tied them together despite all their differences. 

A red thread connecting their hearts.

" _Literature_." 

They had both spoken at the same time, and for a few fleeting seconds, they were looking each other into their eyes, full of longing, fear, regret, pain, and _hope_.

Without another word, Ignis left the car and went into his flat.

Gladio kept sitting in the dark for another few minutes, remembering each and every part of their conversation, burning it into his mind so he wouldn't forget. 

In all honesty, he didn't know if this would ever work out. But he had waited long enough already. It was time to _do_ something.

And he knew what the first steps were.

Gladio had no idea how much time he had spent sitting inside his car, thoughts racing before he eventually drove home. The Amicitia manor had been quiet and dark as he arrived, and exhaustion made Gladio go to bed and fall asleep at once.

On Saturday morning, the first thing he did was taking out his phone, sending Nyx the link to that fateful fanfiction. He asked his friend to read the story over the weekend and wanted to know if they could meet up on Monday. Around noon, the glaive texted him back. He was a bit confused but promised to read it all until Monday.

Gladio was losing all track of time, sitting in his room, _writing_.

There was a knocking at his door.  
"Yeah?" Gladio called out after hearing it.  
"May I come in, son?" his father asked. A small smile slipped to Gladio's lips. He had always loved that he was blessed with a parent who knew how to accept their children's privacy.  
"Yeah," he confirmed, hearing the door open a moment later.

"I remember the last time you have spent a whole day inside your room without any food," Clarus mentioned carefully. "Your girlfriend had broken up with you, and you were crying your eyes out, refusing to ever leave your room again."

"Dad, I'm not 15 anymore," Gladio answered with a little huff. Had he really been that dramatic back then?

"Doesn't make me any less worried," his father announced, his voice soft. Gladio couldn't blame him after yesterday evening. "Feeling comfortable to explain what you are doing here if you _aren't_ crying your eyes out?" 

"Damage-control," Gladio explained shortly, looking up from his laptop for the first time. Only now did he notice that the world outside his window was covered in the soft orange color of the setting sun.

"Need any help?" his father asked.  
"Not right now, thanks, dad," he turned around to smile at him.  
"Alright," his father replied with a smile on his own before leaving the room again.

A bit later, there was another knock at his door.  
"Please excuse the interruption, young master Gladiolus. Master Clarus has asked me to bring you something to eat."  
"Thanks, Jared. Just come in," he called out.  
Gladio had given up years ago to ask Jared to drop this formal speech. The butler was like a part of their family, but he still insisted on some formalities.

His stomach rumbled as Jared placed a tray with food on his desk. "I didn't even realize I was hungry. Thanks again, Jared."  
"It is my pleasure, young master. Feel free to call me anytime should you be in need of something else," he replied with a bow and left.

Gladio continued to take some notes while he ate.

At some point, he was reasonable enough to accept that pulling an all-nighter wouldn't improve the quality of his writing. Therefore, he reluctantly went to bed. Falling asleep was difficult since his mind wouldn't quiet down. Memories of his conversation with Ignis came back to his mind. The more he thought about it, the more he was wondering if he could have done something. Maybe it had taken another outcome if he had replied differently. But was done, was done. The past couldn't be changed but the future. Clinging to this thin sliver of hope, he eventually fell asleep.

He spent his Sunday writing again. Lost in concentration, he was surprised how quickly the time had passed. In the afternoon, he was finally finished.

With an unusual feeling of accomplishment, he leaned back in the chair, proof-reading the fanfiction he had written one last time.

_Aegis had everything other people dreamed about: money, a job that he loved, good looks, charm. Some people called him arrogant, but he knew what he could do and what he couldn't._

_Everyone thought that he was the happiest man alive, always getting everything that he wanted._

_And to some degree, they were right. Aegis was living a happy life, picking up men and women whenever he wanted._

_But there was one thing missing._

_Something that no one ever seemed to notice or question._

_It was love._

_Not love between family members or friends, nor physical love. He had plenty of that._

_But his heart longed for its missing half, always had._

_And no, it wasn't that he had yet to find his other half. He was lucky enough to have found him years ago._

_But as if the gods were to punish him for all the other blessings they had granted him with, they denied him the one thing he truly desired._

_Liber._

_Aegis had fallen in love with the one person who didn't love him. The one person who didn't desire him. Didn't desire_ anyone _._

_For years, Aegis had known Liber, had watched him. The man had never dated anyone. Had never fancied anyone, never been in love. And while Aegis was loving him for what he was, his heart broke when he realized that an aromantic and asexual man would never reciprocate his feelings._

_Not knowing how to deal with this realization, Aegis had looked for other ways to fulfill his desires._

_He had tried to date other people, but it never even lasted for a month. Because his heart wasn't into it._

_He had tried to fulfill his desires, spending his nights with other people. And while it had been nice, it hadn't fulfilled him._   
_He had been with a girl with a passionate gaze, but she had missed Liber's green eyes._   
_He had been with an intelligent guy, but he had missed Liber's wits and focus._   
_He had been with a diligent, submissive girl, but she had missed Liber's love for detail, his challenging tease._   
_He had been a wine and coffee-loving girl, but she had missed Liber's appreciation for the drinks._

_There had been others before, each and everyone with one of Liber's trademarks: his green eyes, his sharp gaze, his filigree eyebrows, his snarky comebacks, his perfectionism, his dedication to his job, his way of caring about others before taking care of himself, his love for science, his intelligence, his cooking skills, his sarcasm, his thin lips, his rare yet god-like giggles, his endless love for his friends._

_But none of them had moved his heart. Never. Liber had always been the only one._

_That's why Aegis had always viewed him as something special. Something precious he needed to protect from everything. Even from himself._

_Aegis would never dare to make a move on someone who didn't show any interest in him, would never bother the one he cares about most._

_But one day, a small voice inside his head had called out to him: what if?_

_And it had gotten louder._

What if? 

_What if Aegis's love and feelings had clouded his judgment? What if Liber wasn't as uninterested in love, sex, and relationships as Aegis had always thought?_

_What if Liber wanted to be with Aegis as well?_

_What if Liber had watched him all these years just like Aegis had watched him?_

_What if they had only missed each other all this time? Watching only when the other had turned back around._

_What if Liber loved Aegis just like Aegis loved Liber?_

_What if Liber was waiting for Aegis to make a move?_

_A sincere move._

_Aegis chuckled in desperation. The reputation he had always been proud of was working against him. People loved him for who he was. But who he was, was not made for lasting love._

_How did someone who only dated others for a night convey that he was in for his life this time?_

_The answer was clear._

_He would stop dating others._

_And he would pursue the one he truly desired - the only one._

_However, he wouldn't push Liber. If the other man really had shared his feelings all the time, Aegis had hurt him too deeply already._

A heart that has once been broken is very delicate. 

_That's why he wouldn't simply confess his feelings, wouldn't scare the other away._

_Instead, he would prove that he could change while still being himself. He would work on earning his trust bit by bit. Carefully picking up the broken pieces of his heart to mend them back together again._

_Until the other was ready to take the next step._

_He would wait for Liber to ask why he had stopped dating._

_He would wait until Liber wanted to hear his confession._

_And he would wait, no matter how long it would take._

Nodding to himself, Gladio opened the fanfiction page to upload his first story. So far, he had only used his account to save bookmarks and leave comments, but now he had his debut as a writer.

Even though the writing wasn't his strong point. But he had to do what he could, and this felt like the right start.

After the upload had finished, he copied the link before he reloaded the last chapter of the fanfiction he had been reading the last few weeks. He hadn't left a comment yet.

ShieldOfTheChosenOne:   
_Sorry for only commenting now. I have to admit that while your last chapter was full of emotions and very well written, it just hurt too much to see it end like this. I think Aegis and Liber have the potential to be happy together, so I've tried to write my own story about them._  
 _Feel free to check it out if you like: [link]_

And then, Gladio waited.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is anyone still reading still?
> 
> 'cause I'm still loving and writing this story!  
> \---  
> I hope you've enjoyed reading! Feel free to drop a comment, reading your thoughts and impressions keeps me going ♥
> 
> I'm using Twitter on a daily basis, so if you're ever interested in any updates, you know where to look!  
> [Check out my Profile to find me on Tumblr or Twitter!](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SophiaHoppia/profile)  
> [Or simply check out my other fanfictions!](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SophiaHoppia/works)


	8. Making everyone happy includes yourself

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gladio has made his decision to stop dating to prove his sincereness, but he hadn't thought that through. It's never easy to change.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nyx was a factor that I hadn't included in the first draft of this fanfiction. Without him, this whole chapter probably wouldn't even exist.

The first thing Gladio did on Monday morning after a restless night was checking the comments on his fanfictions. His heart raced as he found one after reloading the page.

SkyOfTheNightLight:   
_If he stays true to his words, Aegis should be able to get his feelings across._

While it wasn't a comment from Ignis, Gladio was still relieved that, apparently, he had managed to express his feelings through his story. The longer he stared at the username, the more familiar it looked. Suddenly he realized that it was this other user that had sometimes left comments on Ignis's fanfiction.

_Sky of the night light._

Wait a second. In Ancient Lucian that translated to-

Picking up his phone, he pressed the call button.

"I'm still asleep," Noctis mumbled into the phone.  
" _You_ are reading fanfiction?!" Gladio exclaimed in realization.  
"You're never allowed to call _me_ slow again." His prince snorted.

"What's even up with that username? I thought you'd been taught to keep your identity secret on the internet?"  
"I'm not hearing that from you, _Shield of the Chosen One_. Besides, Iggy said it was so obvious that it was unsuspicious again," his charge explained with a yawn.  
"Could say the same about my username," Gladio retorted.  
"I hate to admit it, but that's true," Noctis replied. "Gotta get breakfast now. We'll talk later."  
"Don't fall asleep while eating," he teased, making Noct grumble before he ended the call.

  
  
At every possible moment, Gladio checked his phone for any new comments or text messages from Ignis: before practice, after practice, during lunch break, and during that meeting, he couldn't concentrate on anyway - but there were none.

Additionally, he hadn't seen Ignis all day. The prince didn't cross his path either. Gladio didn't know if he could get any information out of his charge, but by now, he was sure that he and Ignis talked about this stuff. Noctis would know if his advisor had read the fanfiction, would know his reaction to it, his thoughts about it. A sigh left Gladio. But it was probably better to wait until he heard anything from Ignis himself. 

When his phone finally signaled an incoming message, Gladio almost dropped it with his nervously shaking hands. Unfortunately, it was only a short text from Nyx, saying that he was already at home and that Gladio could come over at any time.

As quickly as possible, he hurried over to Nyx's flat. 

"Why is there a fanfic about you and Ignis set in another universe?" his friend asked, sitting down on his bed. Gladio, who hadn't even finished taking his shoes off yet, looked up in surprise. "Don't give me that look, eagle boy. You must have noticed that Aegis is like you, and Liber is like Ignis."

"Until the last chapter, I thought Liber was me," the shield admitted honestly, kicking his shoes away and joining his friend on the old but soft bed.  
"How?" Nyx wanted to know, blinking in disbelief. He was sitting cross-legged, turned towards Gladio, giving him his full attention.

"Well, he's a guy pining for someone he'll never have," Gladio explained, causing Nyx to roll his eyes.   
"Yeah, but no. You're still the Aegis of this story," the glaive repeated with an amused huff.  
"That's the problem," Gladio admitted before he started to explain it all.

It took him a lot to tell his friend about _everything_ that had happened. First and foremost, the events of Friday night were still fresh in his mind. His lips were trembling, and his hands were shaking as he retold the conversation he's had in the car with Ignis.

Nyx had been listening attentively, taking Gladio's hands in his own, his thumb soothingly stroking over rough skin. It helped Gladio to calm down, kept him grounded. The glaive didn't interrupt him once, knowing full well that this story wasn't easy to tell for his friend. 

Once he was finished, the older one placed an affectionate kiss on his knuckles. "I'm so sorry, eagle boy. That must have been rough."

"Yeah," he admitted, leaning forward to rest his forehead against Nyx's shoulder while they kept holding hands. "I'm so angry at myself. We've been in love with each other for months, but I messed it up."

"Now, now, eagle boy," his friend tut-tutted, "you both didn't know your feelings were mutual."

"But we know it now and still aren't living our _happily ever after_ ," Gladio uttered in frustration.

"Because life is no fairy tale. You're reading too many romance novels," Nyx added with a slight chuckle before his voice grew more serious again. "So, what now?"

"I've written a fanfic from Aegis's point of view," Gladio admitted.

" _Oh sweet Shiva_ , you two are total saps. Just kiss already," the glaive replied, rolling his eyes with an amused smile on his face.

"I'm serious, Nyx," Gladio returned, leaning back again.

"I _know_ , eagle boy," Nyx replied with a soft smile on his lips. "Let me read it?" 

Hesitating for a short moment, Gladio pulled out his phone and handed it to Nyx after opening his browser. This story was kind of personal, and he hadn't that much trust in his writing skills, but Nyx was his best friend. The older glaive had seen him at his best and his worst - he wouldn't judge him for that.

While his friend was busy reading, Gladio heated up water to make them some cup noodles. Nyx chuckled as he noticed that the other was in desperate need of his favorite fast food.

They had eaten in silence while Nyx kept reading the story, his face full of concentration without giving any thoughts away.

"You're serious about this, aren't you?" the glaive wanted to know as he had finished reading, putting the phone back down.

"Yes," Gladio confirmed, gaze firm.

A long sigh left Nyx as he fell back on his mattress. "So, no more going out together to pick up some chicks?"

"Sorry, man, I-"

"It's alright, I'm just messing with you, eagle boy," the glaive chuckled, interrupting Gladio's apology, his eyes closed. "I know how important pretty boy is to you. And I will do anything I can to help you."

"Thanks. Seriously, you are the best," the shield replied with a relieved smile.

"Aw, don't flatter me, eagle boy," the glaive chuckled again. "Actually, I'm feeling a bit bad. I might have pushed him too far with my words last Tuesday."

"You couldn't have known. And I think it already started when I lied to Iggy on Monday yet asked him out later." Gladio exhaled, feeling bad even though he knew that regret wouldn't change the past.

"So, we both pushed him over the edge - unknowingly," Nyx stated.  
"Yeah."  
"Well, maybe it was good for something." The glaive shrugged. "It's too early to give up."  
"I'm trying to think positively, but I haven't heard from him since Friday," Gladio mentioned with a sigh.  
"Give him some time, eagle boy. If you wanna prove you're serious, you need more than a few days anyway."  
"I know." Gladio already had a feeling that he might be too impatient to pull this through, but he wanted to do this. Ignis was worth it.

"So, what do you think: How long will you manage to survive without sex?" Nyx asked, but there was a mischievous glint in his eyes. Gladio _knew_ there was more to come and only pulled up an eyebrow in question.

A smirk found its way to his friend's lips.  
"You need some kind of compensation," the glaive stated, his voice deeper than usual, as he picked up his phone. "Good thing pretty boy has more than one fanfiction on his account. Have you read the others? Some of them sound really juicy. I wonder how he, of all people, writes porn."  
"Wow, wait. You're not doing what I think you're doing, are you?" Gladio exclaimed, eyes wide.

"I'll read you some porn, eagle boy," Nyx returned, still smirking and already browsing through the list of fanfictions. "Oh, this one has no fandom tagged, but it's about Liber and Aegis."  
"What?!" Gladio hadn't known that. He had never even read the summaries of the other fanfictions, only browsed through the list once.

"Apparently, the tag for the fandom didn't exist until recently. One should tell pretty boy to update the tags now that it does," Nyx said playfully. "I think we'll be going with this one: Liber teasing Aegis, first-person point of view. Perfect."

"Nyx, you're not-"

"Hush, lie down and listen, eagle boy," Nyx said, sitting up, waiting for Gladio to follow his command.

Knowing that his friend wouldn't change his mind once it was set, Gladio eventually gave in and lay down on his back.

"Close your eyes," Nyx instructed. After rolling his eyes, the shield eventually complied, trying to make the best out of this situation.

Nyx was using his deep, seductive voice as he read the fanfiction.

  
  
_My eyes traveled over the body that lay in front of me: muscular, bronze-colored, naked._

_Aegis had his eyes closed, expression calm but eagerly anticipating the next action._ My _next action. My_ touch _._

_Such a divinely beautiful man was submissive under my command, trusting me to take care of him._

_It was an honor I'd never betray._

_But it was also a chance I'd never miss._

_The owner of this god-like body was at my mercy. Feeling powerful, all-mighty, and dominant, it made me want to tease him._

_Until he begged for release._

_As if he could read my mind, his thick manhood twitched in anticipation. He was already hard. I knew exactly how hard he could get. My body longed to touch his thick, hard, hot rod, but it would have to wait. I'd take my time to savor this meal instead of devouring it too fast._

  
  
Gladio couldn't deny that his cock was already getting hard. Whenever he remembered that _Ignis_ had written these words, maybe even while thinking about Gladio instead of Aegis, he felt desired. 

His eyes were still closed as he imagined Ignis sitting next to him, watching his body just like Liber studied Aegis. Gladio's hand was sneaking over his abs, further down towards its goal.

"Oh, no, no, no, eagle boy," Nyx interrupted him, grabbing his hand to put it back on the mattress. "If Aegis doesn't get touched, _you're_ not getting touched. And especially not until you're _alone_."

"Huh?" His mind was already clouded with lust, not catching up with the sudden interruption.

"You're the one who wanted to live a life in chastity from now on," his best friend reminded him, a faked disappointed sigh tumbling from his lips. "So, no touching while you're right in front of me."

"Wait," Gladio sat up in shock as realization finally sank in.  
"Hm?" The glaive hummed, pulling up an eyebrow.  
"You're not just some random one-night stand!"  
"But I'm not pretty boy either," Nyx stated simply.  
"Well, yes, but, you are-" 

Gladio's mind was racing. Until now, he hadn't thought about what his decision would change between him and Nyx. How much it would change. Their whole dynamic had always been kind of sexual. It's not like they were only fucking each other or simply sharing a physical connection, but it made up a large part of their shared daily lives.

"Don't tell me you've fallen for me, eagle boy," Nyx asked, his voice tinged with his usual teasing amusement, but one look into his eyes told Gladio that his friend was asking for real.  
"No, no, nothing serious like that. It's just," the younger one sighed, "I like what we have."

"I like it as well, but I also know that you're head over heels for pretty boy and want to prove your sincerity somehow, eagle boy," his best friend said softly, an honest smile on his lips. "On the other hand, it's important to be yourself. You shouldn't change for _anyone_. Not even for the person you love. I mean, everyone changes a bit from time to time," he added. "And it's never wrong if _you want_ to change. But you should want that change for yourself, not for anyone else."

"Fuck," Gladio cursed as he felt tears prickling behind his closed eyelids. Knowing that Nyx was right didn't make this any easier. When Gladio had made his decision on the weekend, he hadn't thought this through until the very end.

"I'm sorry, eagle boy," Nyx whispered softly, reaching out to touch Gladio's hands like he always did to comfort him but deciding against it at the last moment. As if he wasn't sure if he was still allowed to touch his best friend.

"Don't be," Gladio returned, pressing the balls of his hands against his eyes, unwilling to shed any tears. "You're right. I thought I could just stop, but somehow I forgot how much that would change between _us_."

"Maybe you should figure out how much you want to change,” the glaive suggested.

"What about you?” Gladio stared at Nyx.

"As long as I don't lose you as a friend, I'm fine. I'll do whatever you need, eagle boy. Or _not_ do it," he added with a smile. Gladio felt blessed to have such a good friend. At the same time, _he_ felt like a bad friend, taking advantage of the other man just as he pleased.

"You sure?" the shield asked, almost timidly.  
"Of course, eagle boy. Just think this through and then tell me what you've decided," Nyx reassured him once again before he playfully added, "Don't worry. There are people out there who'd kill for a night with the great Nyx Ulric. And if I'm not in the mood for strangers, I can always go to Crowe. Did I tell you she has a strap-on?"

"Yeah," Gladio answered, somehow managing a small smile. Even though Nyx had spoken the truth, Gladio knew him well enough to know that his friend wasn't as unaffected by all this as he appeared to be. The older one was just being considerate of him. 

  
  
They'd agreed that it would be best to call it a night, and Gladio didn't remember the last time he had left his best friend's flat with such a disturbing feeling inside of him. The last thing he wanted was losing Nyx as a friend or imposing on his kindness. 

How had he not considered all this when he had made his decision on the weekend? His mind and heart had been focused on Ignis and on nothing or no one else. It had all sounded so easy when he had written his fanfiction. But that's just what it was: fiction. The reality was a different thing. 

Gladio was in the mood to get drunk. Although he knew that that wouldn't solve his problems. At least not for long. Since he had no intention of being around other people right now, he took a pass on using public transportation. Instead, he walked home. The fresh air of the night made him shiver after a while, but he didn't care. His thoughts were running in circles, yet he didn't come up with a solution. He felt like he wanted it all but couldn't get it all. He needed to lower his sights. Just yesterday had he been intent on changing, and today he was already wavering again. Couldn't he change without abstaining from anything? 

A desperate chuckle left his lips, shaking up the silence of the night. He was greedy and pathetic. 

  
  
As he arrived home, it was already after midnight. To his surprise, there still was a light on in the living room. His father was sitting on the couch, reading reports, already dressed in the deep-red pajamas Iris had given him as a birthday present.

It wasn't out of the ordinary for his father to work until late into the night, but usually, he sat in his study. 

"Dad?" Gladio had called out if only to make his presence known.   
"Yes, son?" Clarus replied, expectantly looking up from his reports. And that was the exact moment Gladio realized that his father had been waiting for him since he was worried about him.

"I need your advice," Gladio admitted all of a sudden, his voice small and timid.  
Putting the reports away, his father pointed towards the opposing couch. "Sit down." 

Doing as he had been told, he took a seat on the soft couch of their living room. Vaguely, he remembered lying here a few weeks ago, wallowing in self-pity until his father had told him that it couldn't go on like this and offered his help. A bitter smile found its way to his lips. His dad had known all along that Gladio couldn't get out of this on his own.

"Tell this old man what lies heavy on your mind," his father prompted softly. Leaning forward, he rested his underarms on his knees.

Biting his bottom lip, Gladio fought back the upcoming tears. His dad was the best.

"So, there is this friend of mine who has the problem that-" 

"Cut the crap already. We both know _you've_ got a problem," Clarus interrupted him harshly before taking a deep breath. Leaning back, he rested one arm on the backrest."It is okay to admit having problems or weaknesses, son. As long as you are willing to work on them."

Ever since he could remember, Gladio had tried to be strong since he wanted to impress his father. That's why he sometimes hesitated to share his problems, even though he knew that beneath this stern gaze lay the softest, warmest heart of a loving father.

" _I_ have the problem that I'm in love with-" he hesitated again "-someone. I'm sorry, I really don't wanna share their name right now. Let's just say it's a man named Liber."

"Alright," Clarus accepted with a nod.

"Liber is like the total opposite of me, saving himself for his one true love while I, well, you know my reputation." Self-consciously he massaged the back of his neck, avoiding his father's gaze. They had never really talked about Gladio's escapades, but his dad knew about it nonetheless. Rumors spread fast inside the Citadel. 

"Continue," his father prompted.

"So, I always thought I didn't have a chance with Liber anyway. But, last week, I finally realized that our feelings are mutual. But he has seen me with all these other men and women, and," he sighed, "I don't know what exactly the problem is. Apparently, he thinks that it wouldn't work out between us long-time. Because I couldn't settle for just him or something. Also, he likes me as I am and doesn't want me to change. But the way I am now is not fitting for a relationship. And then there is my best friend. A friend with benefits, you know. I thought I would just stop dating to show my sincerity to Liber, but now I'm not sure anymore if I can live with that much change all of a sudden. And Liber said he doesn't want me to change, but I, oh man, I've got a headache."

Gladio knew that his speech was as messed up as his thoughts. 

"Let me tell you a story, son," Clarus said, the smile on his face a mix of sadness and fondness. "When I was in my twenties, my reputation was just like yours. Everyone wanted me, but I was too focused on my duty for anything serious. I had tried dating, but everyone complained that I didn't have enough time. As soon as I realized this, I only ever spent one night with everyone. It was a good balance to everyday life."

"I always thought mum had been your first and only woman," Gladio admitted, making his father laughing out loud. Bewildered, the younger one observed this unusual outburst of emotions.

"You might even manage to make Cor laugh with that joke," he mentioned, still chuckling. "Sorry if I destroyed your impression on me."

"That's okay," Gladio answered, perplexed.

"The only one I shared a bed with more than once was Regis," his father explained, and Gladio was surprised again. He knew that his dad and the king had been together for a while now. However, he had always assumed it had only started after they had both lost their wife. "The king, still prince back then, had been curious but couldn't risk any kind of scandal. He knew how casual I was about sex, so he asked me to teach him what I knew. It went from one thing to the next."

"And I was always worried that you might judge me for my way of living," Gladio huffed.

"I've always told you: I don't mind anything as long as you fulfill your duty," his father reminded him. "Anyway, I was living my life as I pleased, not caring what anyone said. And it was fine like that. Until the day I met your mum."

"You've never told me how you first met," Gladio suddenly realized.

"It was a mere coincidence. However, as soon as I had laid my eyes on Iridaceae, I knew she's the one I'd been waiting for. It was love at first sight." There was a bittersweet smile on his father's face as he remembered the woman he had loved and lost.

"The first time I saw her, I was too overwhelmed and didn't even talk to her. The next time I saw her, I gave her a bouquet of roses and swore my love to her. And do you know what she did?" Clarus put up an eyebrow, awaiting Gladio's answer.

"Kiss you?"

"You're reading too many romance novels, son. No. She took the bouquet and threw it right into my face while she called me a liar," Clarus admitted, and Gladio winced. That must have hurt - mentally more than physically. 

"After that day, I stopped dating," Clarus explained, leaning his head back. He looked up at the ceiling as he recounted his memories. "I stopped flirting with anyone, stopped sleeping with anyone. Even with Regis. He still jokes that that was the time I developed that now ever-present scowl on my face." A snort left his father.

"But he might be true. I became grumpy and lonely. People whispered that I'd lost my charm," Clarus huffed. "One day, Iridaceae came to me, saying she would love to get to know the real Clarus. The happy Clarus. The one she'd heard about from all her friends before actually meeting me."

"That's cute," Gladio remarked, having a soft spot for romance.

"Looking back, it was, yes. But at the time, I merely replied that the real Clarus was an unfaithful fool, unworthy of her. That's how I had felt back then," the older Amicitia confessed. "She said that no one would fall for a man who had lost himself, but you couldn't be unfaithful if you weren't committed to anyone."

Closing his eyes, Gladio took a deep breath. In the fanfiction, Liber had called Aegis an unfaithful flirt. Gladio hadn't liked this part. He had even mentioned that to Ignis during their _not-really-_ date at the coffee shop. Considering the advisor's reasonable reaction, he might have changed his mind about that. "I think mum was right about that. You're not unfaithful if you make your intentions known from the beginning. But it's not attractive either to someone who's looking for a long-term relationship." 

"It pulled the rug out from under my shoes. I felt lost back then," Clarus admitted, pinching the bridge of his nose, "since it meant that I had to choose between losing myself or losing her - and neither of that felt right."

"So, what did you do?" Gladio asked 'cause he empathized with this. His father had been in almost the exact situation he was in now. Maybe he could learn a thing or two from his experience. 

"I've searched for the right balance," his father stated. "For me, that was stopping these one-night stands. I was flirting again with whoever approached me, but I made it clear that I wasn't interested in sex or a relationship. When I courted your mother, though, I had every intention of showing her how serious I was."

"And Regis? Had you already been in love with him back then?" The younger shield asked.  
"No, I only fell for him after I had lost your mother. Or maybe I only _realized_ my feelings then." There was a melancholic smile on his face.

"And, while you were in love with mum but didn't date her yet? What was your relationship with Regis during that time?" Feeling a bit bad for being so nosy, Gladio continued to interrogate his father.

"Regis and I continued to share a bed until I started dating your mother. He knew it was only temporary, but he was fine with it."  
"Didn't you feel bad," Gladio hesitated, unsure how to phrase his question, "for using him until you didn't need him anymore?"  
"It never felt like that. What we shared simply felt natural and not like we were using each other. Even if that is how it might have looked to others," voice unwavering, Clarus stated that he had nothing to regret. 

"Did mum know?" Gladio inquired.  
"She was very perceptive and of sharp intuition." As always, there was a fond smile on his father's lips when he talked about her. "She noticed."  
"But she was fine with it?"  
"I guess," Clarus replied, shrugging his shoulders. 

"And once you and mum got together?" Gladio frowned since he couldn't imagine that sudden change would be easy - especially for Regis. "Wasn't it difficult to suddenly leave Regis alone?"  
"Well, three people can share a bed as well," his father replied matter-of-factly.  
" _Six, no_." Pinching the bridge of his nose, Gladio did his best _not_ to imagine that. "Too much information, dad!"  
"You asked, son." Clarus snorted. "So don't act like you're an innocent virgin all of a sudden. Besides, it was only a few times. We stopped once Regis had fallen for future-queen Aulea."  
"I see."

"Does my story help you in any way with Liber and this friend of yours?" His father came back to the topic at hand. "Please remember that I am not the perfect role-model. You're not me, and these people you're involved with aren't Regis or Iridaceae. You have to consider everyone's feelings."

"I don't even know where to start," Gladio admitted, almost tearing his hair out in frustration.

"I do understand your struggles. You have to think about how much this Liber means to you. And how much your friend means to you. How much casual one-night stands mean to you. Sometimes, you can't have it all. Sometimes there is no perfect solution that makes everyone happy." Clarus paused only shortly before he uttered all these questions running through Gladio's mind. 

"How do you imagine your relationship with your friend once you are dating Liber? Do you want to continue how it used to be? Do you and Liber want to be monogamous? Do you secretly both harbor feelings for your friend and want to turn this into a polyamorous relationship?"

There were a lot of questions, but Gladio knew he had to think about them all. 

He didn't love Nyx, that much was sure. And Ignis didn't love Nyx either - at least that's what Gladio thought. But if Nyx's intuition was to be trusted, Ignis at least found him attractive. Gladio wouldn't mind a threesome. Nyx wouldn't mind either. But Ignis? Gladio couldn't know for sure. Only last week, he wouldn't even have considered that possibility, but by now, he knew that he had misjudged the advisor in more than one aspect.

Aside from Ignis's opinion on a potential threesome, it was vital to know if Gladio needed that anyway. Not minding something and needing it were different. If he and Ignis were happy together, he probably wouldn't need anyone else. Hadn't he been searching for someone like Ignis all this time anyway? No matter who he had been with, he had always focused on his partner's similarities with Ignis. The green eyes, the formal speech, the love for coffee. Little details that others didn't even notice but meant the world to him.

But, for now, he wasn't happy together with Ignis. So what would he do until then? His decision about stopping these one-night stands hadn't wavered. But Nyx-

He groaned.

Was he just used to being with Nyx? Didn't he want to be alone? Or did he get attached to him because of whatever reasons?

"I don't know where to draw the line," Gladio explained his struggles, "with my friend, I mean."

"Did you talk to him?"

"Yes," he answered, already feeling miserable again as he remembered Nyx's unselfish decision. "He left the choice to me."

"This isn't purely physical between you two, is it?" his father wanted to know, even though his intuition had already told him the answer.

"Fuck, no! Nyx is my best friend," the younger one blurted out.

"Ulric, huh?" Clarus rubbed his chin in thought.

Eyes widening in shock, Gladio only now realized he had let his name slip out.

"Don't worry, I'll pretend I haven't heard it," his father offered with a smile. "So, you are best friends with your _friend_. Then your friendship should be strong enough to withstand whatever step you decide to take."

"I don't wanna hurt him with my decision. I don't wanna hurt anyone anymore," Gladio uttered in frustration.  
"Anyone includes yourself, son," his father reminded him wisely.

"I'm secondary," he mumbled.  
"No, you're not. From what you have told me so far, Liber wants you to be happy - even if that means he has to give up on you. Your best friend wants you to be happy. Your father wants you to be happy, Gladiolus," he added softly. "Don't think I haven't been worrying about you these last weeks. I might not be as perceptive as your mum used to be, but I know you well enough to notice when something is wrong."

Putting his feet up on the couch, Gladio hugged his legs, burying his face between his knees. Shaking, he couldn't stop a few tears from slipping free. His father was even more attentive than he gave himself credit for. After all, he had noticed how severe Gladio's struggles were before Gladio had realized it. 

"Wanting to change for the better is admirable, but don't force yourself to be someone you are not," his father advised.

"It's difficult," the son mumbled against his legs without looking up.

"It is. But I'm certain you'll find the right balance between everything." His father had spoken with so much confidence that Gladio _had_ to believe him. 

"I don't even know where to start," Gladio declared with a sigh. 

"Wherever the most damage has been caused," his father advised. "This is not about who is more important to you. It's about who needs you the most right now. Which relationship needs the most care. If someone is important to you, it doesn't matter if they are your significant other, your family, or your friend. If you feel the bond between you and any of them is breaking, you focus on fixing that first. Everything else comes later."

" _We_ are good, aren't we?" Gladio asked sheepishly, finally looking up again. His father's gaze grew a bit softer. "Of course, son. As long as you are working on your problems, I don't see any reason to complain. Just don't overestimate yourself. If you are not up to fulfilling your duty to the Crown right now, then take some time off and let someone else do the job."

Taking in a sharp breath, Gladio bit his lip. He knew his father was right. If he wanted to protect the prince, he needed to be at his best. But the times were peaceful, and most of his duties consisted of training and attending a few boring conferences. During training, he rarely lost focus. During a meeting, he always lost focus no matter how he was feeling - he just wasn't cut out for this boring stuff. 

Nonetheless, it might help him to take a few days off. However, that also meant diminishing his chances to run into Ignis. And Gladio longed to see him.

"I'm good to go," he replied, but his self-confidence almost wavered as he met his father's stern scrutinizing gaze. When it's about duty, one should never mess with Clarus Amicitia.

"I'll believe these words to be true," the older one said, and Gladio almost wanted to take his words back. He really needed to step up his game starting tomorrow. Disappointing and worrying his father even more was out of the question.

Taking a deep breath, Gladio pulled out his phone. It was already after 1 o'clock in the night, but he pressed the call button anyway.

It rang four times until the call finally got picked up.

"If anyone else called at this hour, I'd be mad," Nyx declared with a sleepy voice, but he didn't sound angry.  
"Can I come over tomorrow evening?" Gladio asked, hating how broken his voice still sounded.  
"Of course, eagle boy," Nyx replied softly.  
"Thanks," Gladio said sincerely, ready to hang up again.

"That all?" Nyx inquired, his voice going up in surprise.  
"Yeah."  
"You could have just texted." The glaive chuckled.  
"But I wanted to call," Gladio mentioned, leaving out that he had been worried if everything was still good between them.

"Aaw, missed my voice, eagle boy?" Nyx asked, being the same playful tease as always.  
"You wish," Gladio replied with a snort, "and now get your beauty sleep."  
"Hanging up on me already? Oh well," he sighed playfully before he added, "I wish you the sexiest dreams, eagle boy."  
"Right back at ya."

Ending the call, Gladio put down his phone with a relieved sigh. Everything would be fine between him and Nyx. Even if they stopped fucking, they didn't have to stop teasing or flirting. Because that was like second nature to both of them, and they knew there weren't any romantic feelings involved.

"Sounds like you'll be fine," Clarus stated, smiling fondly. "He's a good friend."  
"He is," Gladio confirmed, vowing to himself that he wouldn't ruin this friendship.

"That only leaves Liber." A sigh tumbled from Gladio's lips.  
"You've already chosen your approach. Be patient and give it some time. If you're pushing too much too soon, you'll get a bouquet of roses smacked to your face," his father said in amusement.  
"Wouldn't want that. I suppose it hurts."  
"A bit."  
They both laughed.

Part of his thoughts still needed to get sorted out, but for today Gladio had done enough thinking. After thanking his father for his time and advice, he went to bed.

Fortunately, he was exhausted enough to fall asleep at once.

  
  
The next day, Gladio was terribly tired since he had gone to bed too late. If he had any say in this, this week could already be over, but unfortunately, it was only Tuesday yet.

He had just stepped into the training halls, a few glaives already doing their morning training sessions, as Cor walked up to him.

"Clarus said, you needed some extra training?"  
"Sure," Gladio replied with a snort, suddenly remembering something. "And _he_ never touched another woman before meeting my mum."

Cor blinked only once before he burst out laughing. The others turned around, watching the unusual spectacle in disbelief. One glaive was even rubbing her eyes as if she couldn't believe that the stoic and stern man was laughing loudly.

"Good one, Amicitia boy," the marshal praised, slapping Gladio on the shoulder so hard, he had to take a step forward, bracing against the impact.

"And now pick up your weapon. You're still getting that extra training," Cor ordered, and his face was back to its usual austerity.

  
  
A few bruises later, Gladio had somehow managed to survive his training session with Cor the Immortal. The man really was a living legend. If Gladio ever managed to be half as good as him, he would be proud of himself. But he wouldn't be satisfied with that. One day, he would _surpass_ the marshal. 

But not today. Today, Gladio's left shoulder hurt since he had failed to parry Cor's hit.

In the late afternoon, Gladio was on his way to Nyx. To his regret, he hadn't seen Ignis today either. It wasn't unusual for their schedules to be different, but Gladio was getting anxious. He hadn't heard anything from the advisor since their fateful conversation in the car on Friday. 

Pushing him was a bad idea, but Gladio still felt the need to reach out to him. Patience had never been his virtue, but he would try. While pondering if he should call him or not, he had already reached Nyx's flat. That probably was a sign to let this topic rest for today. 

It had been years since he had last felt uneasy about ringing this doorbell. Taking a deep breath, Gladio lifted his hand as the door suddenly opened.

"Oh, uh, sorry," a young, black-haired man mumbled, averting his gaze as he left the flat in a hurry. Gladio hadn't missed the red cheeks, and the short glimpse at the young man's face he had caught was enough to recognize him. It was Novus, one of the newest recruits. If he remembered correctly, he was in the same group as Prompto.

"You little bastard," Gladio said with a smirk as he saw Nyx standing in the doorway, no shirt but more than one hickey on his upper body.

"What? Our mission ended early, but he still wanted me to teach him a thing or two," the glaive replied innocently.  
"How generous of you," the shield emphasized.  
"I'm always this kind," Nyx said with a bow after stepping to the side, making room for Gladio to enter. "However, I kicked him out now since I have reserved the whole evening for my best buddy."

"You bootlicker!" Gladio chuckled as he entered the flat.   
"Eh, tried that once, wasn't mine," the older one admitted with a shrug.  
"Seriously? Why have I never heard about that?"  
"That was way before we knew each other. Spent a night with a real domina." A shudder -half pleasant, half fearful- went down Nyx's back at the memory.  
"Sounds adventures," Gladio replied with a smirk, and the glaive hummed in approval.

"Beer's in the fridge! Make yourself at home. I'll be with you in a minute," Nyx said, pulling the dirty sheets from the bed on his way to the bathroom.

Gladio huffed. What had he even been worried about? It was always easy with Nyx. Nothing would ever change that. 

Knowing the glaive's small flat like his second home -it wasn't more than the bathroom and this room anyway- he took a fresh sheet from the boxes next to the desk. Gladio would never understand why his friend didn't buy a small commode or wardrobe instead of storing all his clothes in boxes or on shelves in his bathroom. However, Nyx had once said that he was used to it and fine with it. Sometimes the other was a minimalist.

"You're a blessing, eagle boy," Nyx stated as he came out of the bathroom again, spotting the freshly made bed. Wearing gray sweatpants and a simple black t-shirt, he flopped down to the mattress, next to where Gladio was sitting. The shield handed him a can of cold beer. "Oh, now you're spoiling me."

"You've earned it," Gladio replied with a smile.  
"For what?" Nyx asked, pulling up an eyebrow. It didn't look as sexy as when Ignis did it, but Gladio still felt a smile slipping to his lips.  
"For being the best friend ever," he stated honestly, holding up his can for a toast.  
"Aaw, don't get sappy, eagle boy. I can't take it," Nyx answered, a small pout on his face that was only half convincing with the way the corner of his mouth twitched up into a smile as they clinked cans.  
"You can take everything," Gladio reminded him with a smirk, and they both laughed.

Once their laughs had subsided, it was suddenly very silent inside the small room.  
"So," Nyx cleared his throat, "pretty boy asked me if you were alright."  
"You saw him?" Gladio's eyes widened in surprise.  
"Magic training?" Nyx, once again, pulled up an eyebrow.  
"Ah, shit. I totally forgot."  
The glaive snorted. "Anyway, I said that I wasn't sure since you were still struggling, figuring out who you are, what you want, what you need."

As he spoke, Nyx had been eyeing his can of beer, but in the end, he was looking at Gladio expectantly. 

"Did you know my dad used to be just as much of a lady's man as I am?" Gladio asked out of nowhere.  
"Clarus?" the glaive inquired with a frown.  
"Do I have another dad?"  
"Regis?" Nyx examined carefully, and Gladio opened his mouth to answer but closed it again. Technically that wasn't too far-fetched considering his dad's involvement with the king. Gladio didn't see him that often, but Regis had always treated him like a second son.

"Sorry, didn't wanna distract you," the glaive apologized.  
"How do you even know that?" Gladio wanted to know. "Their relationship is more secret than a state secret."  
"Intuition." Nyx licked his lips.  
"Remind me to never get on your bad side," the younger one mumbled.

"Duly noted," Nyx returned with a smirk. "So, what about Clarus?"  
Gladio put his can of beer down on the nightstand before sitting further back on the bed, leaning against the wall.

Looking up to the ceiling, white and ordinary except for the usual poster, he spoke up again. "I talked to my dad last night, and he told me that he'd been in a similar situation when he first met my mum."

"Were they writing fanfics as well?" Nyx wanted to know, his voice amused to brighten the mood.

"Nah, not that. For dad, it was love at first sight, but mum didn't believe him. So he stopped dating, flirting, and all that. Instead, he became grumpy and lonely. Mum didn't like that version of him either."

"Hmm," Nyx hummed. "That sounds like what Ignis is afraid of. He doesn't want you to change into someone you're not."

"Yeah, dad said I need to find the right balance between these one-night stands, you, and Ignis."  
"You've told him about pretty boy and me?"  
"I didn't intend to share your identities, but I let your name slip at some point. Sorry, man," Gladio apologized.

"Don't worry, eagle boy," Nyx answered with a smile, "I've got nothing to hide. Just wanted to know how much he knew."

"He pretended not to have heard it," Gladio mentioned with a snort.  
"No one can forget the great Nyx Ulric once they've heard anything about him," the glaive stated, playfully arrogant.

"Yeah, yeah, sure," the younger one chuckled. "Anyway. I'll stick to my decision to stop these one-night stands. And if someone flirts with me, I might not be able to ignore them completely, but I'll make it clear that I'm unavailable."

"Alright, sounds good." Nyx took a deep breath before he asked the question that had been hanging in the air since yesterday. "So, what are the rules between us, eagle boy?"

Taking a deep breath, Gladio closed his eyes. "I have thought a lot about what's important to me, who's important to me. I love my family and my friends, I love sex and my best friend, and I love Ignis. They are different kinds of love, but they are all important to me."

Without hesitation, Gladio reached out to take Nyx's hand, intertwining their fingers - 'cause that's what they always did when Gladio got sentimental - they touched.

Surprised at first, his best friend needed a short moment before he squeezed his hand, his thumb stroking over Gladio's rough skin.

Opening his eyes, Gladio turned his head to his left. Nyx was patiently looking at him, a small smile on his face. 

"We're not sexually touching each other anymore," Gladio finally let out what was the most difficult for him. He would miss that, but it was the decision his heart had made.

"But?" Nyx prompted softly, knowing there was more to it.

"You're gonna use your freakishly sexy seductive voice to read Iggy's porn fanfic to me, and I'll jerk off in the bathroom if it's necessary." It was an offer to keep things as normal as they used to be between them. It was the balance he had chosen since it seemed right to him.

Yesterday, Nyx had already said that he was alright with whatever decision Gladio would make. Yet the shield couldn't help but feel a bit nervous for cock-blocking his best friend with benefits - or, _without_ benefits now.

Nyx raised their linked hands and put a quick, reassuring kiss on Gladio's skin.   
"I could read the most boring council meeting report, and you'd have to jerk off afterwards if I wanted you to. Don't underestimate what I can do with my voice," the glaive whispered, the usual glint back in his eyes.

Gladio took a deep breath. "That's why I asked _you_ to read it."

They both smirked, chuckled, and leaned their foreheads against each other, silently enjoying each other's presence for a moment. 

"Alright," Nyx leaned back, a challenging grin on his face as he grabbed his phone from the nightstand. "Time to get you off." 

Sitting cross-legged, he searched for the fanfiction on his phone. 

Meanwhile, Gladio lay down, his back on the bed, hands crossed over his stomach. 

"Nuh-uh, eagle boy," his friend eyed him sharply, "no touching. Hands on the mattress."

"Since when are you such a stickler?" Gladio asked with a huff but complied anyway.

"Since I wanna tease you as much as possible," Nyx whispered seductively, and it sounded like a promise. Taking in a sharp breath, Gladio knew he wouldn't stand a chance against his friend.

"Do your worst," the shield teased back.

"Will do," the glaive answered smugly, wiggling his eyebrows. 

The beginning of the story was still fresh in Gladio's mind, but Nyx read it to him from the start anyway. The shield had no idea how his friend had managed to make it even more seductive this time, but that's probably what he got for challenging Nyx Ulric. 

His eyes closed, Gladio lay on his back just Aegis did. It was almost frightening how Gladio's body reacted in the exact same way Aegis's body did in the story. Nyx's sultry voice, together with the knowledge that Ignis had -most likely- written this story from his personal point of view, made Gladio hard even before they reached the paragraph where they had stopped last time.

  
  
_As if he could read my mind, his thick manhood twitched in anticipation. He was already hard. I knew exactly how hard he could get. My body longed to touch his thick, hard, hot rod, but it would have to wait. I'd take my time to savor this meal instead of devouring it too fast._

_Using only the tip of my finger, I traveled down the bridge of his nose. Aching his head, Aegis tried to lean into the touch. Pulling my hand back, I silently reminded him that he wasn't allowed to move._

_A short huff left his smiling lips as his head relaxed back into the cushion. He had gotten the message._

_Still, he had broken the rules, so he had to wait for my touch a bit longer now. Slowly, I leaned over the sexy body lying beneath me. As close as I was, I could feel the heat radiating from it. My lips traveled closer to his ear. Letting him hear my breath, so I wouldn't startle him before I quietly whispered, "I'll forgive you if you keep still from now on."_

_A sharp intake of breath was the quiet answer I got as his whole body shuddered in desire._

_I smirked. These were reactions I could get used to. Aegis, the strong and mighty, shuddering beneath me. Before I've even touched him._

_Feeling my own desire growing, I licked my lips at the delicious sight._

_Careful not to startle him, I slowly touched the bridge of his nose again. This time, he inhaled sharply but didn't budge into the touch. Such a good boy. He had learned his lesson._

_To show my approval, my finger traveled from his nose to the side, tracing his prominent cheekbone until my hand cupped his cheek, softly stroking it._

_I took my time until I let my thumb travel to his lips. Soft and full, slightly swollen from all these kisses we had exchanged earlier. To my surprise, he behaved as ordered, not even moving or opening his lips._

_As a reward, I placed a feather-light kiss on these soft lips while my hand traveled down his neck. Without hurting him, I let my fingernails stroke over his shoulder, down the arm, and back up again._

_It wasn't the way he had wished for my hand to choose, but it was a reminder that_ I _was in charge today. Moving over his collarbone, I repeated the same action on his other arm._

_Impatiently he took a deep breath, and I grinned._

_When I reached his collarbone again, I had mercy with him and let my hand wander further down the middle of his torso. Admiring strong abs along the way, I eventually reached his navel, using only the tip of my forefinger to circle the small gap._

_Intuitively, he held his breath to avoid any movement, and I chuckled. Slowly my index finger moved back up again, slightly to the left with every inch it covered._

_Arriving at his strong muscular chest, I let the tip of my finger circle around his sensitive bud. Wide circles, getting smaller each time, inching closer towards their goal. Aegis's breath stuttered in anticipation, and I had mercy with him. Touching his nipple only once with my fingernail made him moan so deliciously that desire overpowered me._

_In the heat of passion, I pinched his nipple between my index finger and thumb, causing a loud feral groan to tumble from his lips as his whole body bucked up in desire._

_Remembering our rules, I pulled my hand away completely, leaving him without any touch._

_A needy whine left his quivering lips, his erection twitching._

_Another whine left him when I waited, biting my lip as I was getting impatient myself._

_Diligent as I was, I didn't give in to desire but stuck to the rules. Starting at the bridge of Aegis's nose, I let my fingers travel their route again. From his nose to his cheek, his lips, along his neck. Over his shoulder, down his arm, his hand, his fingers. Back up again, over his collarbone to his other arm, hand, fingers. Back up once more, over his collarbone, down his torso, around his navel, back to his chest._

_Shivering, he awaited my next touch. Without hesitation, I stroke over his nipple again, another delicious moan tumbling from his lips. His body went stiff as he tried his best to suppress too much movement._

_Content with the effort he showed, I let my fingers travel to his right chest. Here, I circled his sensitive bud as well, delaying the actual touch as long as possible. His breathing sped up when my finger inched closer towards its goal. When I finally caressed his other nipple, I was rewarded with another growl - deep, sexy, needy._

_Prompted by these exquisite sounds, I let my hand travel along his torso again. Marveling the strong abs beneath my touch, I eventually reached the small puddle of precum that had formed here._

_My now wet fingers moved further down and to the side, tracing prominent hipbones. Aegis's arousal twitched again, anticipation making him impatient as his breathing sped up even more._

_I wouldn't mind teasing him for hours to come, but good behavior deserved a reward._

_Still, I put my hand away from his body completely._

_He sharply sucked in some air and held his breath, erection twitching again, even more precum leaking down._

_I waited a second._

_Two seconds._

_Three seconds._

_Until I let my finger touch the underside of his erection, traveling up the shaft from bottom to top. Without a warning, I closed my hand around the tip of his member, circling it twice until I pumped my fist down his hardness. Using just the amount of pressure he loved, it didn't take me more than three strokes to make him come, painting his stomach in white._

Opening his eyes, Gladio jumped up from the bed, running to the bathroom. He heard Nyx chuckling as he almost tripped over his own feet on his way, but he couldn't care less.

Slamming the bathroom door closed behind him, Gladio ripped down his shorts, freeing his painfully hard erection. He banged his head against the door behind him. A relieved moan fell from his lips when his hand finally enclosed his erect member. 

Huffed breaths left him as he desperately jerked off with his quick, practiced movements. 

It didn't take long until his orgasm hit him, harder than anticipated. Not caring that his loud moan would be heard in the other room, he relished the satisfaction. 

As his knees gave in, he slid down the door. Sitting on the cold bathroom tiles, he tried to catch his breath again.

A chuckle left his lips.

It had been a while since he had come that hard.

After cleaning up, he opened the door again.

A wide smirk was on Nyx's face as he wiggled his eyebrows at him. Wordlessly, the glaive entered the bathroom after Gladio had left, but the satisfied expression and the crumpled-up tissue in his hand told Gladio that his friend had already taken care of his _issue_ as well.

Later, they both sat on the bed again, drinking their beers.   
"I've gotta admit, I've underestimated pretty boy," Nyx mentioned after taking a sip from his can. "That was really hot."

"Too hot," Gladio mumbled while his body still felt overheated. 

"And _my_ voice made it even hotter," the glaive added smugly, making them both laugh.

  
  
After spending a comfortable evening with his best friend, Gladio felt a bit better the next morning. He still hadn't talked to Ignis, but he was slowly getting his life back under control. 

Furthermore, he'd see the advisor today. Every three months, on Wednesday, there was a meeting with all council members, the king, the prince, and their retainers. 

Hoping to catch a few moments with Ignis alone, Gladio had arrived early. 

Verecunda was very flustered, apologizing that the table hadn't been set yet, the coffee still brewing. At once, the shield reassured the poor thing that it wasn't her fault that he arrived half an hour too early.

Some councilmen made their entrance next, and Gladio had to hold back a sigh. So much for catching a few minutes alone with the advisor. Now that he thought about it, the meeting was set for 8 o'clock. Ignis would be busy enough with getting their sleepy prince out of bed on time.

Five minutes before the meeting began, they finally arrived. Early enough to be on time, late enough to avoid getting engaged in a conversation by any pestering councilmen. Perfectly timed by Ignis. 

A small smile slipped to Gladio's lips as he greeted the others. Hesitating for merely a short moment, the advisor replied politely, work-mode fully activated.

Well, even if he couldn't talk to him, he could at least enjoy his presence.

They were all sitting at a huge round table. The prince had taken his place between Gladio and Ignis. On the opposite side of the table, the king was seated between Cor and Clarus. The councilmen took the other seats. 

"I chose those strong Altissian coffee beans you prefer in the morning or tiring situations," Verecunda whispered as she placed a cup of steaming coffee in front of Ignis. 

"Thank you, my dear," Ignis replied politely, a small smile on his face. Gladio couldn't help but wish Ignis would address him with such an endearing nickname as well. "You're a lifesaver," Ignis added, and Verecunda's eyes lit up. 

For the prince, she set down a cup of black coffee with two cubes of sugar.

"One would have been enough," Ignis stated as he spotted the sugar cubes. "You're spoiling him."  
"Drink your coffee and stop pestering the poor maid," the prince retorted.

"My apologies," Ignis replied after turning to Verecunda. "It wasn't my intention to criticize you."

"No offense taken, don't worry," she said, waving her hands in front of her while shaking her head, cheeks flushed.

They exchanged smiles, and Gladio felt his heart clenching. There was nothing to fear. Ignis had declined her confession with a polite letter. Even this exchange now was purely made out of politeness for a workmate. It had nothing to do with any romantic feelings. Even if Verecunda still had a crush on him, spoiled him by remembering his coffee preferences, and smiled at him.

Nonetheless, Gladio was jealous. He longed for Iggy to smile at him, wanted his whole attention, desired his-

_Oh._

Had Ignis felt like that when Gladio had been asking Domicella out as Ignis walked past them? And when he had flirted with Faba at the coffee shop? 

It had probably been even worse for Ignis. After all, Gladio had always flirted back, intending to get another one-night stand.

_Shit._

Regret didn't change anything, but Gladio still wished he would have known about the advisor's feelings sooner. Maybe they would be in a different situation now if they had just talked to each other sooner. It wasn't like all hope had been lost, but right now, Gladio felt that even a workmate like Verecunda was closer to Ignis than him.

Suddenly he felt Noct's knee hitting against his right thigh. Startled out of his thoughts, the shield looked at him. Noct's eyes hinted to their left, and Gladio turned his gaze in that direction.

Councilman Tetricus was eyeing him expectantly. "I asked," he repeated, "about your opinion on this topic, young sir Amicitia?"  
"Uh," Gladio felt like he was back at school and didn't know the answer when the teacher had caught him slacking off. He hadn't even noticed that the meeting had already started. "None?"

Noctis sharply drew in some air next to him, sensing what was coming.

The coffee cups clattered loudly as Clarus banged his fist on the table, his gaze furious. No one dared to move anymore, holding their breaths. 

Slipping further down on his chair, making himself as small as possible, Gladio tried to escape his father's rage.

He got saved -for now- as Regis softly put his hand on Clarus's fist, squeezing it once before taking it back. "Please continue, Tetricus," the king ordered, and the councilman, along with everyone else, stumbled out of their state of shock.

Gladio tried to focus on the topic at hand, but he didn't miss Ignis's disappointed sigh.

His father was still furious, gazing at him from the opposite side of the table.

As loving and empathetic as he could be, Gladio knew his dad showed no mercy when it's about duty. He had insisted that Gladio gave 100% at work or left the job to someone else if he wasn't up to it. 

The meeting continued, and with time, Clarus had calmed down a bit. Never before had Gladio been more grateful that these meetings always dragged on too long. 

Yet he knew that no matter how much time passed, his dad wouldn't forget about that slip-up. 

As soon as the meeting ended, Clarus called out to him, short but sharp, "Gladiolus."   
"Sorry, dad," he replied, standing up with a bow. "Being inattentive is inexcusable."  
"If this happens during a life-or-death situation, it is," his father confirmed. "You should always focus on your task or leave it to someone else if you're not capable enough. You must realize your own limits and admit them - especially to yourself."

"Please excuse the interruption, Clarus," the prince spoke up, more politely than usual but with his stern royal voice. "But I have to discuss something important with Gladio. Mind if I take him with me?"   
The older shield was returning the rigorous gaze for a few seconds until he spoke up. "As you wish, your highness."

"Thank you for your understanding," the prince answered politely.  
"Gladio, Ignis," Noctis called as he already walked towards the door.

There was an amused smile on the king's face as the shield and advisor followed their prince. 

It didn't take them long to reach their goal: Ignis's office. Even though it was only his workplace, Gladio felt like intruding into the advisor's private space. Before he had time to really take in his surroundings, Noct caught his attention.

"These reports were useful. Thanks," the prince mumbled, his cheeks rosy, as he held up the papers Gladio had smacked to the floor last Wednesday.  
"I'm just glad they reached you, even with _that_ kind of delivery," the shield replied, rubbing the back of his neck. Throwing these papers hadn't been the most mature way to deal with the situation. 

There was an awkward moment of silence when Gladio and Noct didn't know where to look before they both decided to smile at each other in relief. They both knew they had overstepped, driven by emotions, but were sorry for it.

"You two always had the weirdest way of apologizing to each other," Ignis mentioned, amused.  
"Says the guy who communicates his feelings through literature," Noctis retorted, hands on his hips as he turned around to face his advisor.  
"I sincerely apologize if that is an inconvenience for you, mister I'm-friendzoning-my-love-interest-since-high-school," the advisor returned, unashamed, making the younger one flustered. 

It was a rarity for Ignis and Noct to tease each other like that. Or maybe that was the dynamic they shared when they were on their own. Gladio always had had the feeling that he had been missing out on some part of their relationship. Maybe that was it. And it warmed his heart that they let him in on it now. It meant a lot that they trusted him with this private moment.

"I just don't wanna mess this up by making the wrong move. I'm still not sure. I'm waiting for the right moment," the prince tried to justify.  
"Not making a move and waiting for too long _can_ work _against_ you." All at once, Ignis's voice had lost its sharpness. Instead, it sounded hurt, as the advisor was avoiding their gazes, busying himself with assorting some papers on his desk.

Clearing his throat, Gladio took one step closer to the advisor, making his presence known without cornering him. "It's never too late to try."

Holding his breath, he awaited a reaction, but Ignis only bit his bottom lip as he continued to sort his papers. 

"It's also never too late to leave a comment on a fanfiction you've read," Noctis mentioned casually, but Gladio felt his heart rate speeding up.

"Noctis!" Ignis hissed sharply as his hands stopped moving, his piercing gaze pointed towards their prince. Due to his flushed cheeks, it missed a bit of his usual sternness. 

That reaction proved what Gladio had already guessed as Noctis had spoken up. Their prince was referring to Gladio's fanfiction, telling him that Ignis _had_ read it.

"You coming over on Friday?" Noctis asked him while ignoring his advisor.  
"Sure," Gladio replied, trying to sound casual. He was relieved that he was still welcome at the prince's apartment. There had happened so much between him and Ignis last week. However, he hadn't forgotten how turbulent it had been for Noct and him as well. 

"Nice." The prince smiled.  
"I'm looking forward to dinner," Gladio stated honestly. While Jared was a magnificent cook, Gladio had always enjoyed eating food made by Ignis. After all, the man was the best cook on Eos. 

By now, Ignis had turned around, his back towards them. Gladio was unsure how to interpret this reaction, but he hoped that the other man was only embarrassed.

Knowing that too much pressure wouldn't be helpful, the shield took his leave for now.

  
  
Gladio had spent the rest of his Wednesday holding on to the fact that Ignis had read his fanfiction. Furthermore, Noctis knew about it and had left a hopeful comment. Believing that the prince had commented on it _after_ talking to Ignis gave Gladio faith.

On Thursday, Nyx and Gladio had agreed to cancel their weekly get-together since they had already spent Monday and Tuesday evenings together. The glaive met with Libertus instead while Gladio spent his free time at home.

Iris had wanted to do his hair again, but Gladio somehow felt uncomfortable about it. Furthermore, he needed to work out. So, for once, he declined his sister's wishes. She pouted for about five seconds before she sat down on the lawn of their garden, watching in awe how his brother swung his mighty wooden broadsword.

Their father came home even before it was time for dinner. It was unusually early for him, but therefore he hadn't been home the day before. Gladio hadn't seen him since the meeting yesterday, and he felt a shudder running down his back as he remembered his father's rage.

"I wanna train my skills with the shield," Gladio said without even greeting his father, already putting his sword away to take out the shield instead. "Care to help me?"

"Hmpf. Don't come running back to me if you end up with a few bruises," Clarus replied with a challenging gaze, summoning his broadsword.

" _If_ you land a hit on me," the son retorted with faked self-confidence, knowing full well that his dad still had the upper hand in a serious battle.

The training was hard, but Gladio didn't regret it. Iris cheered them both on, and even Jared watched them for a while. Later, they all had dinner together. Gladio was relieved that no matter what happened, he still had his loving family. 

  
  
As he was driving to Noct's apartment on Friday evening, Gladio used his hands-free device to catch up with Nyx. 

"Pretty boy said I looked happy," the glaive mentioned what had happened during their magic training session.   
"Are _you_ ever not happy?" the shield asked with a snort as he stopped his car at a red light.  
"Rude," Nyx replied with a pout, making Gladio chuckle.  
"So, what did you answer?"  
"I won't tell you," the glaive said, still pouting.  
"Come on, man," Gladio requested. "I'm sorry. You're the best."  
"I really am the best. I'm not getting called _hero_ for nothing," Nyx replied, the smirk hearable in his voice.

Rolling his eyes, Gladio stepped on the accelerator as the light turned green.

"I told him that you finally realized what consequences your decision has. And that you've found the right balance to deal with it," his best friend stated.

"That's one way to put it, yeah," the shield confirmed. "Anything else I should know?"  
"Not really," the glaive replied. "Only that Ignis is a genius in regards to fire magic, but I guess that was to be expected."  
"Of course," Gladio replied with a smirk.  
"Why do _you_ sound so proud, eagle boy?" Nyx snorted. "You don't even know how to write the word _magic_."   
"Hey, that's not true!" the shield complained.  
"Yeah, yeah, alright. Let me rephrase that: Everything you know about magic is how to write it."  
"Sounds accurate," the younger one admitted, and they both laughed.

  
  
When Gladio arrived at Noct's apartment, he felt a bit nervous. While they had seen each other on Wednesday, the atmosphere between Ignis and him was still a bit tense.

Even though he was right on time, Gladio was the last to arrive. Entering the main room, he spotted Noctis and Prompto to his left, sitting on the couch, gaming. To his right, Ignis was busy in the kitchen. 

"That smells divine," the shield stated truthfully as he walked closer to examine the pan on the stove. "Oh, Paella?"

"Yes, Altissian style," the advisor confirmed while taking some plates out of the cupboard.   
"Here, lemme help," Gladio offered, already taking the plates out of Ignis's hands. 

Noticing the short hesitation, he tried not to think too much of it. The other was probably just surprised that someone other than Prompto helped him for once. Why hadn't Gladio ever done that before? Sure, Ignis always insisted that he didn't _require_ any help, but the shield could have offered or just helped him anyway. 

"Boys, dinner will be ready soon," Ignis announced, but the two younger ones didn't answer him, too absorbed into gaming.

"Hey!" Gladio exclaimed, setting the plates down to the table with a bit too much force. At least they didn't break, and he got everyone's attention.

"Whoa!" Prompto screamed, the gamepad flying right out of his hands. "Don't scare me like that, big guy! When did you even get here?"

Noticing the Game Over screen, the prince sighed, taking out his phone instead. 

"Moments ago," the shield replied. "You should be more aware of your surroundings."  
"Yeah, yeah." The blond rolled his eyes before he mumbled, "You sound like the marshall during training."

"There was no need to interrupt them," Ignis mentioned quietly, but Gladio had heard him.   
"I just tried to help," the shield explained with a frown.  
"Since you've got the impression that I can't handle them on my own?" the advisor retorted sharply, and Gladio was taken aback.  
"What? No!"

When Ignis didn't answer anymore, Gladio felt lost. How had that happened again? It hadn't been his intention to belittle him or anything like that. 

"Stop playing hard to get," Noctis mumbled without even looking at anyone, his gaze fixed on his phone.

"Noctis," Ignis warned the prince.

"Huh? What did I miss?" Prompto asked, blinking in confusion. The blond was the only one who had no idea what had happened during the last days, especially last Friday. 

"Iggy's just grumpy 'cause councilman Iniustus declined all of his project plans today," the prince explained.

"Don't remind me of that little-" Ignis cursed but stopped at the last moment.  
"Uh, oh. Must have been really bad if _you're_ swearing," Prompto noticed with wide eyes.

"If looks could kill, the guy would have been stabbed at least seven times today," Noctis chuckled. 

"Would have served him right," the advisor stated, as he pushed the drawer shut with too much force after taking out the tableware. Thanks to the soft-close, the drawer shut quietly anyway. 

Stepping out of the way, Gladio let Ignis set the table.   
"What was his problem with your plans anyway?" the shield asked with a frown. Everyone knew that the advisor always planned everything perfectly. It couldn't be that _all_ of his plans were failures.

" _Nothing_ ," the advisor stated, slamming the last fork to the table. "They were perfect."

"But?" Prompto pressed carefully.

"But he's a grumpy old fool who refuses to move with the times," Ignis explained, crossing his arms. "And he thinks no one -except himself- can do anything right on their own."

"He just hates you, Iggy," Noctis snorted.

"The feeling is mutual," the advisor huffed in anger.

"That much is obvious. You had even lost your poker face for a second," the prince stated, and the advisor looked shocked. "Your eyebrow had twitched."

" _Astrals_ ," the advisor pinched the bridge of his nose. "I have to work on that, or he'll use it against me as well."

"This guy sounds like an asshole who's abusing his power," Prompto interposed.

"Welcome to the world of politics." Noctis heaved a sigh.

"That guy is so old that the problem will die with time anyway," Gladio joked, a desperate try to lighten the mood.

"Nah," Noctis denied with a small huff. "He's the kind of guy who would survive an apocalypse."

"Unfortunately," the advisor mumbled in agreement, arms crossed again, looking tense.

Gladio wished he could help him somehow. If it were Nyx, he would at least offer him to massage his tense shoulders to help him to relax. But he didn't know if Ignis felt comfortable getting touched by him.

As he stood there pondering, he noticed Noct nodding towards Ignis. When Gladio frowned, Noctis rolled his eyes before he quickly made a massaging gesture with his hands.

Did Noct have the same thought as him? So it would be okay if he touched him? Gladio didn't like to admit it, but Noct knew his advisor better than him. 

With a deep breath, the shield reached out to touch Ignis's shoulders.

"The pan!" Ignis noticed, eyes widening, as he sprinted towards the stove, out of Gladio's reach. 

Noctis face-palmed with a groan.

"You okay, buddy?" Prompto asked, unaware of their silent exchange moments ago.

"Yeah," the prince sighed, "let's just eat."

  
  
As always, Ignis's food had been magnificent. The conversation during dinner had shifted to better topics as well, most of them brought up by Prompto. Fortunately, the advisor's mood seemed to have lifted as well. Sometimes Gladio forgot that beneath that stoic mask, Ignis still had feelings. Even someone who loved his job and was perfect at it sometimes had bad days at work. 

Since the advisor had tasked Noct with helping him to clear the table, Prompto and Gladio had moved to the couch on their own. 

"Okay, big guy." Prompto turned around to face him. The sparkle in his eyes already told Gladio what would come next. "Tell me about your adventures this week!"

"You sure, you wanna know?" he asked with a smirk, putting his arm around the younger one's shoulders. "It was _intense_."

Out of the corner of his eye, Gladio noticed the short moment of hesitation from Ignis and Noctis.

"Now I'm even more curious," the blond admitted.

"So, I was with Nyx this week," the shield started his explanation, ignoring the murdering gaze his prince threw at him.   
"Uh-huh," the blond urged him on eagerly.

"And he used his seductive voice to read me some porn," Gladio continued, making Prompto and Noctis blink in unison.  
"That doesn't sound so intense," Prompto replied with a frown.

"You have no idea, blondie," Gladio chuckled ominously. "It's all about teasing and anticipation."  
"Oh, okay," Prompto cleared his throat, "now I'm anticipating how this continued."

With a laugh, Gladio put his finger to Prompto's nose. "In the story, one guy caressed the other. He stroked from his nose to his cheek."

As Gladio cupped Prompto's cheek, the blond blushed deeply. Continuing to touch accordingly, Gladio went on with his narration. "Then he went to his lips, down his neck, his shoulder, and arm, over his collarbone-"

"I think we get the picture!" Ignis suddenly exclaimed from the kitchen, without facing them. Gladio couldn't see the advisor's face, but he bet he looked as flustered as Prompto and Noctis did. 

Although the blond was the only one who had no idea _who_ had written that porn.

"Fuck, why is that so hot?" Prompto asked, putting a cushion on his lap.

"Teasing and anticipation," Gladio repeated, wiggling his eyebrows.  
"So, how did it end?" the blond wanted to know.  
"The story or _my adventure_?"  
"Both!"

"Well, in the fanfic, the main character eventually reached his lover's erection. Stroking up the underside of his cock," Gladio explained while his hand touched the air accordingly, "circling the head twice before he started to touch him for real."

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that Ignis had stopped moving entirely. Unfortunately, he still couldn't see his face.

Prompto squirmed. "And you?"  
"I ran off to the bathroom and jerked off. It had been a while since I'd come so _fast_ and so _hard_ ," Gladio admitted with a smirk.

"Oh, my gods!" Prompto screamed in excitement at the same moment Ignis ran towards the bathroom. The advisor had a hand pressed to his face, but Gladio hadn't missed the red cheeks and the flustered look.  
Squirming and giggling, Prompto repeated his chants of "Oh my gods."

"You've broken him," Noctis stated, a blush on his cheeks as well. They both knew he was talking about Ignis and not about Prompto.

For a short moment, the shield didn't know if he had gone too far, but then Noctis chuckled, throwing him a thumbs up.   
A smile found its way to Gladio's face. He was on the right track.

When Ignis emerged from the bathroom, the tips of his hair were wet. It was evident that he had splashed his face with cold water to cool down.

Avoiding Gladio's gaze, the advisor went back to the kitchen, where he cut the cake he had baked earlier. "I'll be on my way then," he suddenly announced.

"Eh, won't you even stay to eat dessert with us, Iggy?" Prompto asked, having calmed down again.  
"Well, I-"  
"I've got that new detective movie you wanted to watch," Noctis mentioned before the advisor could utter any excuse. "I'll even eat my carrots," the prince added, picking up a plate with carrot cake.  
"You are testing my patience this week, Noctis," Ignis muttered, and they stared at each other, having another silent conversation with their eyes.

After a while, the advisor gave in with a sigh. "Fine."  
"Yay!" Prompto exclaimed what Gladio thought. "Move over, big guy."

Scooting over to the corner of the couch, Gladio made room between him and Prompto.

Noctis walked over, handing them two plates with cake as well before sitting down on Prompto's left side. That left an open space between Gladio and the blond. 

Grabbing the remote control, the prince started the movie.   
After cooking a cup of coffee and getting a slice of cake as well, Ignis stopped at the edge of the couch, where Noctis sat.

"Move," he ordered, staring down his charge.  
"Can't you just-" Noctis started to say but got interrupted again.  
" _Move_ ," he repeated with a stern gaze.

Knowing better than to aggravate the advisor's wrath, Noctis ushered Prompto to scoot over towards Gladio, following him so Ignis could sit down at the edge - far out of Gladio's reach, the two younger men sitting between them.

Well, he shouldn't push his luck.

Stretching out his legs on the free side of the corner sofa, Gladio made himself comfortable. When he took the first bite of the carrot cake, his eyes widened as the flavor spread over his tongue.  
"Why does this taste even better than the one we ate at the coffee shop?!" He leaned forward, staring at the cook. 

"I've added some freshly-squeezed lemon juice to the icing," Ignis stated simply.  
"You've got a talent for making good things even better," Gladio responded with a wink.

He didn't get a reply, but he noticed the advisor's cheeks turning just the tiniest bit pink at the compliment. 

Enjoying their desserts in silence without any more conversation, they focused on the movie.   
After he had finished eating, Gladio put his plate on the coffee table and laid his arm on the backrest behind Prompto.

The detective story had some unexpected plot twists, and Gladio really enjoyed watching the movie, but he couldn't stop teasing Prompto all the time. Scaring the blond was just too easy. Whenever the detective was tailing someone, the blond held his breath, expecting a jump scare - Which Gladio gave him by suddenly tickling his neck. The blond yelped every time while Noctis shot him an angry gaze. 

After the third time, Prompto leaped up from the couch. "I can't take this anymore! Change places with me, Noct!"

"What? No, I'm too tired to move," the prince complained.  
"I won't continue sitting next to the big guy. He's mean today!" Prompto pouted, and Gladio laughed, only feeling a bit sorry for the younger one.  
"Shh, be quiet. I can't hear them talking," Noctis mumbled, his gaze focused on the screen.

"Noct!" Prompto whined, but the prince ignored him.  
"Iggy," the blond tried again, and the advisor got up with a sigh.

Gladio's heart raced as Prompto and Ignis changed seats. That hadn't been his intention when he had teased the blond, but it was a delightful outcome. 

The stern gaze the advisor side-eyed him with told Gladio that he shouldn't dare to tease Ignis in the same way if he valued his life. 

Suddenly, the interesting movie didn't manage to hold Gladio's attention anymore. His whole focus had shifted to the man sitting next to him. That familiar fragrance of the advisor's perfume was drifting to Gladio's nose: flowery and citrus-like yet still sweet. They weren't close enough to be touching, but he could feel the warmth radiating from his body. His arm was still lying on the backrest of the couch. It would be so easy to touch Ignis now. 

Earlier, he had wasted his chance to massage his shoulders.

But now, he could just move his hand to his shoulder. 

If he dared.

Although he had no idea if Ignis would mind that or not. Usually, Gladio would never think twice about such a casual gesture, but he knew that the other wasn't such a touchy person as himself.

The decision was taken from him as Noctis reached back to take Gladio's hand and put it on Ignis's shoulder.

A loud slapping sound echoed through the room, followed by a loud "Ouch!!" from the prince.

"What's wrong with you today, big guy?" Prompto huffed in disbelief, but Gladio was speechless.

That hadn't been him.

_Ignis_ had slapped Noct's thigh.

But he hadn't removed Gladio's hand from his shoulder.

Did that mean he was okay with the touch but just didn't want Noctis to interfere? Taking the bet, Gladio let his hand rest where it was.

When nothing happened, he relaxed. Ignis's shoulder was warm beneath his touch. After a while, he dared to move his thumb, soothingly stroking up and down.

Ignis didn't show any reaction, his eyes glued to the screen. 

With a smile on his face, Gladio enjoyed this moment.

  
  
Ignis and he had continued to sit together like that until the movie had finished. Afterwards, the advisor had taken his leave while the others had played some video games before calling it a night as well.

On the weekend, Gladio spent some time with his family, mostly with Iris, since their father was busy with work. When his sister wanted to do his hair again, Gladio refused once more, not even knowing why. He just had the feeling that it would be a bad idea. Instead, he took her to the mall on Saturday, buying her new clothes. Hearing his sister's cheerful laugh always made him happy. In that regard, she was a bit like Prompto: making others smile all the time.

After such a nice weekend with his lovely family, Gladio had almost forgotten about the fanfic he had written. Yet when he lay in bed Sunday night, he noticed a new comment on his fanfiction.

Writer0509:  
 _Interesting approach._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you've enjoyed reading! Feel free to drop a comment, reading your thoughts and impressions keeps me going ♥
> 
> I'm using Twitter on a daily basis, so if you're ever interested in any updates, you know where to look!  
> [Check out my Profile to find me on Tumblr or Twitter!](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SophiaHoppia/profile)
> 
> [Or simply check out my other fanfictions!](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SophiaHoppia/works)


	9. A helping hand

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The draft for this chapter was so short, but, once again, it escalated into something around 10k words.

"Trade lunch with me." 

Gladio stopped mid-way, taking his sandwich back down again. He was sitting on the ground in the backyard of the Citadel, far away from any hustle and bustle. 

As he looked up, his eyes fell on Noctis, who had suddenly appeared in Gladio's field of vision, blocking the rays of the sun.

"Huh?"   
"Trade lunch with me," the prince repeated, sitting down next to him, handing him his lunch box. Squeezing his eyes shut, Gladio had to adjust to the brightness of the sun again.

Confused, he put down his sandwich to take the box from his charge. Opening the lid, he burst out laughing.

"Mashed carrots, sauteed carrots, roasted carrots," he listed loudly, "and, are those carrot sticks with a carrot dip?!"

"Yes," Noctis replied, rolling his eyes as he held out his hand, waiting for Gladio to give him his lunch.

"Iggy must be hopping mad," the shield deducted.

"Yup. Pushed him too far last week, but it was worth it," the prince replied with a huff.

"Sorry, man. I know you only meant well," Gladio felt a bit guilty since Noct had played matchmaker for them.  
"I did, and you owe me one. So gimme these sandwiches already," the prince ordered, wiggling the fingers of the hand he still held out.  
"You sure that won't make him even angrier?"  
"He _knows_ I'd rather starve than eat _any_ of this." The prince scrunched up his nose in disgust as he eyed the contents of his lunch box again.

"Alright, on your responsibility," the shield said with a shrug, handing Noct his sandwiches.

They both started to eat.

It was amazing how every dish tasted different even though the main ingredient for all of them was carrots. 

While the mashed carrots were mixed with potatoes and nutmeg, the sauteed carrots had been cut into thin slices, seasoned with parsley.  
The roasted carrots had been cut into larger parts, pan-fried with garlic and onions.  
The dip for the carrot sticks was made of carrots and paprika, with a hint of pepperoni, giving it just the right amount of spiciness.

Ignis really was a magnificent cook.

"We didn't push him _too_ far, did we?" Gladio inquired after a while. It took a lot for Ignis to get so angry that he didn't give Noctis any food he liked. A few carrots or other vegetables as a side dish weren't a rarity - just a desperate try to get the prince to eat more healthily. Yet a lunch containing nothing but carrots was like giving Noctis no lunch at all. And usually, Ignis was enough of a mother-hen to not let their charge starve.

"Nah, it's fine, just give him some time to get used to it," the prince returned nonchalantly as he took a big bite from the tuna sandwich. "Jared made them?"  
"Yeah," Gladio mumbled, surprised by how fast Noct had dropped their other topic. Yet the prince might be right. It all needed some time. Gladio would prove his sincereness without losing his charm while he waited for Ignis to open up to him. 

"He's a great cook as well," the younger one stated.  
"Fortunately. No one in our family can cook. We'd probably starve to death without him," the shield confessed.  
Noctis snorted but didn't say anything else. They both knew that the prince wasn't doing any better. 

On Tuesday morning, the marshall ordered him to take over training the new recruits until noon. Gladio didn't mind helping out and was honestly proud that no other than Cor, the Immortal, trusted him with such an important task, but a bit of a heads-up would have been welcome.

It wasn't the first time that he had to oversee the practice of new recruits. However, the last time had been quite a while ago, and he knew he still wasn't a perfect teacher. Training Noctis was one thing since he had done that from a young age on, knowing precisely what the prince's strengths and weaknesses were. Tutoring a bunch of young women and men, who he didn't know much about, however, was a challenge.

Well, they were new, and they needed to get some basics done first.

"Team-up in pairs and grab the training swords. I'm pretty sure you're bored by hitting the air all the time, so let's focus on defense today," Gladio shouted out orders and was glad when it earned him some excited glances. "One of you attacks, the other blocks with the sword. This isn't about landing a direct hit on your training partner. This is about blocking the force of an incoming hit. Keep that in mind."

"Yes, sir!"

Crossing his arms, Gladio observed the young recruits. Prompto had paired up with a shy-looking girl, and from the looks of it, the sword wasn't her favorite weapon either. After the entrance exam, it had already been evident that Prompto's strong points were his shooting skills. Yet if he was serious about joining Noctis as his personal guard one day, he had to pass some basic tests. Unfortunately, sword-fighting was one of them.

Compassionately, the shield walked to the pair, giving them some tips, correcting their stances. Gladio had to acknowledge that they at least tried their best to follow the instructions and got the theory down, but in reality, their sword _strikes_ wouldn't even scare away a Chocobo hatchling. Not that Prompto would ever want to do that anyway.

While he reminded those two of the basics and observed their next few exchanges of blows, he noticed someone standing behind him. It had to be one of the other recruits. While he appreciated that this person didn't interrupt him while he was busy teaching others, he would have preferred if they had continued their own training until Gladio had time for them.

"What?" he asked, trying to match the stern voice of Cor as he turned around.

The small man who had been standing behind him flinched. At first, Gladio saw nothing but black hair. When the guy finally looked up to him, his light blue eyes a high contrast to his dark hair and red color on his cheeks, Gladio immediately recognized him: Novus.

"Um, Gladiolus-senpai?" the small man asked, without meeting his eyes.  
" _Sir_ ," Gladio corrected him sharply.  
"Oh," Novus peered up at him, eyes wide and round, his cheeks flaring up even more. "Sir, of course, sir. I'm sorry, um, we're an uneven number, so I don't have a sparring partner."

Taking a deep breath, Gladio refrained from sighing out loud. Of course, it had to be this guy. The young man still dodged his gaze, cheeks red. Maybe he was embarrassed about their last encounter at Nyx's front door the week before.

Summoning a practice sword, Novus stared at him in awe. As new recruits, they didn't have access to the royal magic yet. Although Gladio wasn't affine to warping or elemental magic like Nyx was, he could, at least, summon weapons without any difficulty. Usually, that was enough to impress others.

"Then you've gotta spar with _me_ ," the shield announced, and the young man turned even redder. It made Gladio wonder just how red this guy could get. Apparently, his pale skin easily changed color.

"Alright, try blocking my hit," Gladio instructed.

"I could never," Novus stuttered, eyes widening in panic. Holding up his hands in defense, he vehemently shook his head. "I could never stand my ground against someone like _you_ , sir."

"Don't worry, I won't strike with full force," the shield smirked, already adjusting his stance. 

"Alright," the younger man replied, grabbing his sword with his shaking hands. Gladio refrained from sighing. It was already obvious that the boy needed more sword training. 

When Gladio swung his wooden sword against Novus's practice sword, the younger one closed with eyes against the impact, screamed, and dropped his weapon.

Dumbfounded, Gladio stared at the man. His little sister was better at holding a sword than this 18-year-old Crownsguard recruit.

"You shouldn't look away from your enemy," Gladio explained since he had to start somewhere. "Screaming won't save you either. You need a firmer grip on your weapon."

"Teach me how to grab a sword, _senpai_ ," Novus begged, looking up at him with wide eyes. A stern gaze from Gladio was enough to make the other realize his mistake. " _Sir_!"

Taking a deep breath, Gladio stopped his mind from wandering to dirty thoughts about grabbing _a sword_. Instead, he showed him how he was holding his weapon. "Grab the hilt with two hands."

"You have such big, _strong_ hands, sir," the young man whispered in awe before he licked his lips. 

"Pick up your sword, recruit," the shield instructed, and Novus followed his command.

After he had made sure that the small man had a solid grip on his weapon this time, they got into position again. 

As Gladio landed the next hit against him, Novus blocked it successfully without screaming this time. But the sound that tumbled from his lips was almost worse. " _Ahh!_ " the younger one _moaned_ , "such a fast, hard _thrust_!"

Gladio's eyebrow twitched. Was this guy trying to seduce him, or didn't he realize how suggestively he talked all the time?

"Don't blame me if you bite your tongue during battle someday," the shield mentioned with a huff. The shocked expression on the younger man's face made Gladio wonder if he had misjudged him. Maybe he wasn't playing innocent after all.

"I wouldn't want that," Novus mentioned, licking his lips with his pink tongue, "I need my tongue for other _stuff_."

Taking a deep breath, Gladio tried to keep his expression neutral. That was it. This guy _was_ trying to seduce him. And Gladio hated how that tiny devil reached his goal. He wanted to ravish the boy, wanted to know if his whole body turned as red as his cheeks, to _teach_ him all kinds of things. But he wouldn't.

"Back into position," he commanded, focusing on his actual job. 

Novus complied, but not without shaking his hips and blinking at him with his big, round eyes. What was even worse were his thin pink lips, slightly parted. They reminded him of Ignis's lips.

And that again reminded him that he wanted to stop with these one-night stands. So he'd ignore this seductive small man in front of him.

Continuing their training, Gladio had difficulties controlling the force of his hits. The stronger he hit him, the louder and deeper Novus moaned - as if he was getting off on it. Well, that would be a kink he hadn't heard about yet, but you never knew.

Shaking his head, Gladio took down his sword for a moment. He let his gaze wander, checking in on the other recruits. They seemed to be doing fine.

"There's so much sweat on the hilt," Novus mentioned, and when Gladio turned around, he immediately regretted it. The younger one had sat down on the ground cross-legged. In his lap, he held his weapon, lasciviously rubbing over the hilt, intending to wipe away his sweat.  
"Wanna teach me how to rub off a sword?"

_Screw this._  
The only thing the other guy intended was making Gladio hot. And the shield hated to admit how easily he achieved that.

"No, I'm not interested." He had forced out the words, and the puzzled look on Novus's face told him that he had been right with his assumptions. The younger one had tried to seduce him. 

Desperately, he hoped that the tent in his trousers wasn't visible.

He needed to get away from this guy. Letting his gaze wander, Gladio did his best to concentrate on anything else. Prompto and his training partner were doing a bit better by now, putting more force in their blows and blocking them accurately. On the side of the training ground was a group of maids. They were watching the recruits, whispering to each other.

Whenever Gladio saw these maid outfits, he remembered how Domicella had worn it in her bedroom as she-

Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath.

"Change your training partners," Gladio ordered the recruits. "You've gotta be able to block everyone's hit."

"Yes, sir!"

"Prom, you're with me," the shield instructed, ignoring the pout on Novus's lips.   
His _thin_ lips above this sharp chin.

_Fuck_.

Prompto threw him a questioning gaze, but Gladio didn't speak up, and the blond didn't utter any direct question. After ordering the younger one to practice his sword strokes on his own for a few minutes, Gladio used the time to watch the others exercising.

Shifting his concentration back to training was working. He shouted out instructions, corrected stances, and demonstrated precise hits.

On purpose, he avoided Novus and his partner before he went back to Prompto, teaching the blond how to block the incoming hits of a taller opponent.

At the end of the training, Novus walked over to them, asking Prompto to join him for lunch at the cafeteria. Before the black-haired man could ask Gladio to accompany them as well, the shield had already run off to the showers.

Usually, he would wait until everyone had left, but he couldn't hold back any longer. Gladio turned up the water. Hot liquid splashing down on him, he used what little privacy these shower cubicles provided to jerk off: quick, firm strokes, fast but efficient.

It didn't take long until he came, biting his bottom lip to avoid letting any sounds slip from his mouth.

The orgasm felt good - a relief for his tense body.   
Good, yet not enough.   
But it had to be.

When he reached the dressing room, Novus and Prompto were still there. The black-haired man must have stalled to wait for Gladio, who had taken an extra long shower to avoid meeting anyone afterwards.

Ignoring these two, Gladio got into his boxer shorts before taking off the towel hanging around his hips. 

"Senpai?" Novus asked, his voice sweet. "Wanna join us for lunch?"

"Nah," the shield simply denied, putting on his other clothes as fast as possible. Grabbing his bag, he left the changing room, the two younger men following after him.

"Jared made you lunch?" Prompto wanted to know as they walked down the hallway together.  
"Yup." He didn't intend to show Prompto his cold shoulder, but short answers might be better if he wanted to get away from Novus.

"You're so lucky! No cafeteria food for you," the blond sighed.  
"Their food isn't half bad," Gladio stated honestly. He had tried it a few times.  
"Yeah, but home-made food just tastes better." Prompto pouted.  
"True."

Home-made lunch by _Ignis_ was the most delicious. Maybe Noct would trade with him again.

"I could invite you to a home-made dinner, senpai," Novus suddenly interjected, "with a _special dessert_."

The maids who were cleaning the hallway giggled as the group passed by them. 

"I'm not in the mood for anything sweet today," Gladio excused himself as they reached the next intersection.

"How about something spicy and _hot_ instead?" Novus called after him.

"Go eat your lunch, _kid_ ," Gladio called out without looking back, ignoring the whispering maids.

When he finally arrived at the backyard of the Citadel, he sat down with a sigh. He had always enjoyed the peace and silence of this far-off place, but today he was exceptionally grateful for it.

Opening the lid of his lunch box, he groaned.

_Sausages_ with vegetables. Of course, it had to be something suggestive. 

Taking out his phone, Gladio shot a quick text to Prompto, telling the young one to be careful around Novus. The blond didn't really get the hint, mentioning that he didn't see any danger in the other but would take Gladio's advice to heart nonetheless.

The shield sighed. Well, it didn't look like Novus was interested in Prompto like that anyway. And even if - blondie was old enough to do what he wanted. Even though Gladio was pretty sure that no matter how interested Prompto was in all his _little_ _adventures_ , the blond was only interested in Noctis.

Wondering if their prince and Prompto would eventually end up getting together made him wonder if he and Ignis would eventually end up together. And how long would it take? When would Gladio ever get laid again?

He groaned.  
It hadn't been nearly long enough to be this needy already. His last night with Faba had been two weeks ago. He could go a while without sex. He didn't need to fuck a cute, innocent-looking young man with pale skin, a sharp chin, and thin lips. Thin lips like Ignis's. Lips that whispered suggestive words and let delicious moans tumble from them.

_Fuck_.

Gladio put away his lunch box, appetite gone. 

As he took out his phone, there was a text message from Nyx, mentioning some rumors about Gladio making one of the new recruits cry this morning. A groan left the shield. How did rumors travel so fast? And why did Nyx always catch wind of them after no time?

He quickly typed back, clarifying that he merely declined Novus's obvious flirtatious advances.

In the afternoon, he felt haunted by suggestive themes. A new weapon developing company showed them their newest products, and Gladio was so sick of hearing about lances, swords, hilts, and everything else that wasn't a real dick.

In the evening, he did what always helped to calm down his libido. He spent time with his little sister. Her cheerful, childish laughter made him forget about anything. Stubbornly, she had insisted on a drawing competition with Jared as their judge. Painting wasn't something Gladio usually did, but it was a welcome change from everyday life.

Once he arrived at the Citadel on Wednesday morning, his libido awakened again as a young maid with green eyes, just like Ignis's eyes, winked at him. Falling back into his old patterns, he winked back with a smirk. She giggled. They repeated the same exchange a few times when they crossed paths again, and Gladio had to admit that such a carefree little flirt felt refreshing. 

Thinking nothing more of it, he went along with his morning training, but he soon noticed her watching him. Even though he tried to ignore her, his eyes traveled back to her every now and then.

During his lunch break, she joined him in the quiet backyard, intruding on his self-declared private space. Things got a little awkward when she offered him her phone number, and he had to decline. In his opinion, the slap in the face had been exaggerated. But it had hurt his ego more than his cheek.

To make matters worse, Novus showed up a few moments later. Apparently, Gladio needed to find a new spot to spend his lunch break _alone_.

"What happened to your cheek, senpai?" the young man asked, a worried expression on his face. Sitting down, Novus carefully cupped Gladio's cheek with his unbelievably soft hand.

"Nothing serious, just ignore it," the shield answered, reluctantly moving his head to the side to break their touch.

"Got dumped?"  
Gladio huffed. "Nah."  
"I could console you," Novus offered, cocking his head, "be your _helping hand_ or whatever you prefer."

The way he whispered these promises, wetting his thin lips with his pink tongue, did things to Gladio he didn't want to admit.

"No, thanks," the shield replied, averting his gaze.  
"Am I that disgusting?" Novus asked all of a sudden, and Gladio turned back around in shock.  
"No, that's not-" he broke off as he noticed unshed tears in these huge blue eyes. This guy was playing his role to perfection. Gladio didn't want to know how many men he had already seduced like that. "No, it's got nothing to do with you. I'm just not interested, alright?"

"Hm," Novus pushed his bottom lip forward, pouting, "you don't look like you are not interested."

The young man eyed him from bottom to top, and despite wearing his clothes, Gladio suddenly felt very exposed.

"Just ask someone else, kid. Shouldn't be too difficult for you to find someone," Gladio tried again.

"But I want _you_ , senpai!" Novus exclaimed, suddenly clinging to Gladio's shirt, crying.

_By Ifrit's hot balls..._

This was getting out of hand.

"You've gotta learn that no means no," Gladio said one last time before he got up. "Excuse me now."

As he left the backyard, the shield almost didn't believe it when the young man followed him. Tears in his eyes, Novus continued to call out to him, "Senpai, please!"

No matter where he walked, the other followed. Maids, councilmen, and whoever else they passed turned their heads, watching them in confusion. Many of them gave Gladio reproachful looks as if _he_ were the one to blame for this unnecessary drama. 

Gladio knew that talking to the guy wouldn't change anything. The younger one would only make more of a scene. His only option was getting away, but no matter which corner he turned, Novus followed, calling out to him.

At his wit's end, Gladio went with the last idea that crossed his mind. 

"Sorry, I need to hide," he announced after closing Ignis's office door behind him. No one of the new recruits would dare to enter this office, not even Novus. The young ones were always scared of _the_ _prince's ice-cold advisor_.

"Senpai!" Novus whined from outside the door once.

Pulling up a filigree eyebrow, Ignis looked up from the papers he was working on. He sat on his work desk, which was on the other side of the long rectangular room. Behind the desk was a wide window facade. On the right side of the room were some cabinets, and a commode with a tray, containing drinks and cookies. On the left side of the office stood a whiteboard -near the windows and Iggy's desk- and a coffee table with two small sofas -next to the entrance door.

"Hiding from who or what?"  
"A stalker?!" Gladio more asked than declared, sitting down on the sofa that had its backrest against the wall. That way, he was able to keep an eye on the door.

"And what happened to your cheek?" Ignis asked with a frown.  
"Does it look that bad?" The shield sighed. Carefully, he let his fingertips travel over his cheek and had to admit that the skin felt a bit too hot.

"If you consider red and swollen as bad, then yes, it does," Ignis stated while standing up, and Gladio already regretted coming here. Ignis shouldn't see him like that. "Was that the work of your stalker as well?" 

"No, that wasn't Novus," the shield admitted, still carefully touching his cheek. It really was swollen. With all the turmoil, he hadn't even noticed the pain.

"The guy that asked you out yesterday?" Ignis inquired, eyebrows pulled up in surprise as he walked around his desk to a small sideboard with drinks on it.  
"How do you know that?"  
"My apologies. Nyx mentioned it during our training session yesterday," the advisor explained swiftly. At the same time, he was wetting his handkerchief with water from a water bottle. Gladio couldn't help but stare at how these long slender fingers grabbed the bottle, wishing they would grab his dick instead. 

"Why does he tell you this stuff?" Gladio mumbled more to himself, doing his best to stop daydreaming about Ignis's hands getting him off.  
"I've asked him the exact same question. Apparently, he thought I might be interested in that," Ignis explained, but Gladio didn't dare to ask if Nyx had been right with that assumption.

Putting the water bottle back down, Ignis stared at the handkerchief in concentration. Just as Gladio wanted to ask him what he was doing, he noticed the icy chill appearing between Ignis's hands. He had cooled the wet cloth with ice magic.

"Huh, nice trick," Gladio admitted honestly.  
"I'm still not good enough to use it in battle," Ignis replied before a small smile found its way to his lips. "But it's good enough for this."

All of a sudden, Ignis sat down next to Gladio, carefully pressing the cold cloth to his swollen cheek. The shield flinched at the first contact.   
"Still," the advisor ordered, and Gladio obeyed.

The scent of coffee was drifting to his nose together with another scent that was typical for Ignis. Yet the shield still hadn't figured it out completely. It smelled like citrus, lemon or lime, and some flowers. But there was something else to it. Whatever it was, the scent drew him in.

When Gladio looked to his side, he realized how close they were sitting together. His eyes fell on Ignis's thin lips, and the shield was filled with a yearning desire. Being close to Ignis while being horny was torture.

"Are you in trouble?" Ignis asked quietly after a while.  
"Nah, everything's fine," the shield dismissed the other's worries at once.  
"You don't look fine with a hand-shaped red mark on your face," Ignis stated matter-of-factly.

Closing his eyes, Gladio took a deep breath. "Sorry, must look pretty pathetic."  
Ignis's voice was soft when he spoke up again. "That's not what I meant."  
"I know, sorry," Gladio apologized, and suddenly the silence between them felt tense. "Sorry for disturbing your work," he added on a whim.

Ignis snorted. " _Sorry_ again? Looks like someone is in the mood to apologize today."

"More in the mood to fu-" slapping a hand to his mouth at the last minute, Gladio stopped himself from admitting his dirty desires. 

Cocking his head, pulling up a thin eyebrow, Ignis watched him, innocently confused. 

_Fuck._

Gladio felt his member stirring in his pants.

"I've gotta go to training," he announced suddenly, springing up from the sofa. The icy cloth dropped to the floor.

"Gladio, what-" Ignis called after him, but he was already out of the door.

How needy was he to lose control over his body like that? He wasn't a teenager anymore. Turning corners, he walked around aimlessly but at a fast pace. Actually, he really had planned to spend the afternoon training before he had to pick up Noct later, but that wouldn't be possible before he had calmed down.

"Ah, senpai!" Novus suddenly called out to him

_Astrals._

Gladio lost his patience, turning around towards the other.   
"No!" he said sharply, raising his finger in warning. "And stop following me at once, or you _will_ regret it!"

Maybe his tone had been a bit too harsh. This time, he wasn't even sure if the tears that spilled from the young man's eyes were real or fake, but he couldn't care less.

Realizing that he didn't care, Gladio simply turned around and left. He was so done with this day. Any other time, he would have asked someone to meet up and work out his frustration in bed, but that was out of the question. He wouldn't risk messing this up with Ignis only because he gave in to his horniness. But he couldn't continue his workday like that either.

That left him with only one choice.

Crashing into the office he shared with his father but rarely used himself, he exclaimed. "I need half a day off!"

"Ever heard about knocking?!" his father asked sternly, and when Gladio turned his gaze, he found Regis sitting on his father's lap. Clothed -thank the Astrals- but with lips swollen from kissing.

" _By the balls of Ifrit!_ " Gladio exclaimed, turning around, slamming the door shut he had left open after his sudden entrance. "Ever heard about locking the door?!"

"I'd say you two are quit," the king mentioned, knowing full well that the two Amicitias would start fighting otherwise.

"What happened to your cheek?" his father asked, and Gladio wasn't in the mood to answer that question again.

"I need half a day off," he repeated, hitting his forehead against the closed door without looking at the two older men.

"That shouldn't be a problem," Regis replied.  
"Why?" Clarus wanted to know, tone sharply.  
"Since I'm not feeling capable enough to do my job properly right now," Gladio used his father's words from last week against him.

"Clever," the king remarked with a grin, making Clarus growl.  
"I'll ask one of the glaives to look after Noctis later," his father said eventually. "Go home."

"Thanks," he uttered before opening the door. He was already halfway out of the office before he took a step back. "And lock the door behind me," he added.

Fortunately, he managed to get to his house without any more incidents. Looking at the shoes in the entrance hall made him realize that his sister and Jared were there. "I'm home, I'm tired, don't disturb me," he announced as he quickly stomped up the stairs before anyone could speak to him. Entering his room, he locked the door behind him, flopping to his bed face first, groaning into the cushion.

Feeling his member stirring again for no reason, Gladio felt betrayed by his own body. Couldn't he just calm down? Pinching the bridge of his nose, he tried to think of anything unsexual, but it didn't work. His thoughts drifted back to these moans Novus had let out yesterday. Would Ignis be vocal in bed? Would he moan loudly or be shy and try to fight back any sound? He and Novus both had these thin, sinful lips. Would Ignis cling to him, tears in his eyes? Probably not.

Gladio huffed. 

Accepting his fate of being a horny teenager again despite his age, he took off his pants. Yet, he wasn't really in the mood for another handjob on his own. He wanted someone else, preferably Ignis.

Suddenly, he remembered last week when Nyx had read him one of Ignis's fanfiction. That had almost felt like doing it with the advisor.

Licking his lips, Gladio grabbed his phone, browsing through the list of fanfiction. Since he was in the mood for some company, he clicked on the fanfiction _Like a Stranger_.

_Liber was lying on his bed after a long day of work. Today, Aegis had visited the library. They hadn't had the chance to talk, but Liber had had the opportunity to observe. With his strong hands, the fighter had grabbed a book. An innocent action, seen all the time at a library._

_But Liber couldn't help but wonder how it would feel when Aegis grabbed his dick._

_Biting his bottom lip, Liber closed his eyes. Aegis's touch would feel different from his own. Not like the familiar movements of his right hand but more like a stranger._

_Using his_ left _hand, Liber traveled down his body until he reached the hem of his pants. After a whole day of thinking about Aegis, he wasn't in the mood for any foreplay, didn't_ need _it anymore._

_Wrapping his slender fingers around his shaft, he felt pleased yet disappointed at once. Aegis's fingers were thicker than his own. His grip would feel different. As he stroked up and down, cupping the head, a moan slipped from his lips nonetheless. It felt different from using his right hand._

_There was another angle, another rhythm. Experimentally he changed the pressure. Would Aegis have a loose or a firm grip? Tightening his grip, Liber moaned again._

_His eyes closed, he imagined the other man leaning above him, Aegis whispering into his ear how beautiful he looked. Aegis stroking his member with firm strokes, using a rhythm faster and more efficiently than his own. Aegis wouldn't tease him. He would get him off - effortlessly._

_Without ever stopping, Liber moved his left hand over his erection. Tossing his head left and right when he felt the pressure building up, he even sped up his movements._

_As his orgasm suddenly hit him, a guttural moan tumbling from his lips, Liber still continued to stroke his member. Pumping through the aftershocks, he only stopped when oversensitivity got too much to bear._

_While getting his breathing back under control, Liber wondered how different a real handjob from Aegis would feel like._

The concept of using his other hand hadn't been new to Gladio. But he had to admit that he hadn't done it in a while and especially not while reading a fanfiction written by his love interest. The story had been short, but it had been enough to get him off. With how needy he had been since yesterday, that wasn't even a surprise to him.

Still, just like Liber, Gladio was wondering how a handjob from Ignis would feel like. He had witnessed these long, slender fingers wrapping around a bottle today. _Knowing_ that he shouldn't be jealous of a bottle of water only because it got to feel Ignis's grip and lips didn't stop him from _being_ jealous. 

Spying down at the mess he had made, he put away his phone, going to the bathroom. 

The hot shower felt soothing after this day. 

Since his imagination still hadn't had enough, he pictured a naked Ignis taking a shower with him and jerked off once more. With his left hand again, of course. The hand that felt like it belonged to a stranger. To Ignis.

Somehow, Gladio had managed to get through his workday without any incidents on Thursday. In the evening, he was chilling out with Nyx, lying face down on the glaive's bed.

"What's wrong, eagle boy?" the glaive asked, tone amused at the display he made but soothingly stroking over Gladio's back nonetheless.

"Mh hmapf," the shield mumbled into the pillow.  
"I'm afraid I don't speak _the muffled language_." Nyx snorted.

"Bad week," the younger one repeated after he turned around to lie on his back, hugging the pillow to his chest instead.

"That sucks," the glaive confirmed, taking a sip from his beer. "Anything I can do to help? I guess sucking you off is out of the question."

Gladio huffed. A blowjob would be exquisite right now, but no. He wouldn't stray from his path, still determined to see this through. "How was Novus in bed?"

Nyx hummed, a sly smile on his face. "Wouldn't that be like sharing confidential information?"

"Just wanna know what I missed," Gladio admitted while he stared at the poster on Nyx's ceiling. He'd always liked the green bikini of that girl on the poster. It had the same color as Ignis's eyes.

"Did he make a move on you again?" the glaive asked evasively.  
"A _move_?" Gladio huffed in disbelief. "He almost jumped me, acting as needy as I felt."

Laughing full-heartedly, Nyx needed a moment to answer. "Must have been hard to resist then."

"In the beginning, yes. After some time, that kid really got too pushy." Even remembering it made Gladio roll his eyes. "He needs to learn the meaning of the word _no_."

"Maybe you taught him that lesson." Nyx shrugged his shoulders. "Rumor has it he cried his eyes out after chasing you through half the Citadel, but I guess they are exaggerating again."

"Actually," Gladio hesitated, remembering yesterday's events, "that sounds about accurate this time."

Nyx burst out laughing again, almost spilling his beer, as his body shook. The younger one didn't even know what was so funny about that.

"So, what did I miss?" Gladio inquired, getting back to his original question.

"No surprises, eagle boy," Nyx mentioned, taking a sip from his beer, "he was just as expected. Needy, vocal, teary-eyed. He admired me, praised me, wanted more, harder, faster," the glaive shrugged his shoulders, "he knows what he wants and how to get it."

"Hadn't had someone like that in a while." Gladio realized with a sigh.

"You doing okay, anyway?" Nyx's voice was serious again. His best friend knew that all this wasn't an easy change for Gladio.

"Wasn't easy this week, honestly," the shield admitted. Nyx gave him a look full of pity, and Gladio slapped his arm. "Don't gimme that look! It's not that bad."

"Okay, okay! Excuse me for being empathetic," the older one chuckled.

"I've read another of Iggy's fanfics last night," Gladio uttered next.

"Oh? Which one? Tell me about it?" There was a real interest in Nyx's voice.

"It's called _Like a Stranger_. It was rather short but good," he admitted. "It's about Liber thinking how a handjob from Aegis would feel while he jerks off with his non-dominant hand."

"Aaw, a classic," Nyx grinned. "So?"

"So?"

"Did _you_ jerk off with your left hand, imagining pretty boy's touch?" The smirk on the glaive's face grew even wider.

"Of course," Gladio replied, wiggling his eyebrows, "that was the whole point of reading this fic."

"You're so dirty," the glaive said playfully.

"I wonder if one of my friends had a bad influence on me," the shield retorted, and they both laughed.

"I wonder how he'd react if he knew you'd read his fic while masturbating," Nyx mused.

"He already knows I've jerked off after you read me that other fic last week. Prompto asked on Friday, so I told him, and Iggy overheard."

"Oh? And why am I only hearing that _now_?" His best friend playfully slapped him against his upper arm. At least not against his cheek. That still kinda hurt from yesterday, although the swelling had subsided by now.

Getting up, Gladio leaned over to grab his beer from the nightstand. After taking a sip, he rested his hands in his lap, sitting cross-legged.

"Forgot to mention it, sorry," the shield apologized.   
"Well, mention it _now_ , eagle boy. I'm all ears." Nyx leaned back against the wall at the end of the bed, crossing his legs, taking a sip from his beer. 

"You act as if you're expecting a pretty long story."  
"Just taking precautions, in case you wanna tell me the same thing thirty times again," the glaive teased him, remembering that time when Gladio had been over the moon because he talked to Ignis about books for the first time.

"Good old times," the shield sighed. "Anyway, he was in the kitchen, but I noticed him hesitating once he realized I was talking about his fanfic. He got really flustered and ran to the bathroom to cool off his face."

"His _face_ or something else?" Nyx pulled up an eyebrow, a dirty grin on his face.   
"Don't give me ideas."  
"Who knows what he did once he got home that night," the glaive hummed.

" _Fuck_ ," Gladio muttered, hiding his blushing cheeks behind his hands.

"Anything else I missed?"  
"I had my hand on his shoulder while we watched a movie," Gladio mentioned, smiling fondly at the memory.  
"Too PG-rated, boring," his best friend complained.

"He put an iced handkerchief to my swollen cheek yesterday," the shield added.  
Nyx rolled his eyes. "Okay, nothing else happened."  
"Hey! These are small things, but they happened!"  
"Uh-huh, maybe you will even have your first kiss in three years or so," Nyx teased him.  
"It won't take that long!" Gladio retorted on reflex before he frowned. "I hope."  
"Oh, boy, you two are so slow. You need help," Nyx stated, a pondering expression on his face.  
"Oh, no, no, no. Don't you dare push him too much! Noct already did that."

"And that let to what?" Nyx pulled up an eyebrow in disbelief. "Your hand on his shoulder?"  
"That's a huge step for Iggy," Gladio retorted. "I guess?" he added thoughtfully.

"Don't worry, I've got this."  
" _Nyx!_ " Gladio whined.  
"Relax, eagle boy. You know you can trust me," Nyx stated, voice serious, putting a hand on Gladio's knee.

"Yeah," the shield sighed, "I know. Just remember that he's, well-" he broke off, lacking the right words.

"Inexperienced? Taking it slow?" Nyx added helpfully.  
"Yeah, exactly."  
"I know."

Suddenly Gladio remembered something Ignis had mentioned. "When you told him about me declining Novus's advances and that you thought he might be interested in that information," he paused shortly. "What did he answer?"  
"Nothing. Just averted his gaze."  
"Hm."

It was quiet for a while before Gladio whispered, "I'm kinda jealous that you get to see him regularly."

"Aw, don't be, eagle boy," his best friend replied, voice suave, playfully patting Gladio's cheek. "Won't you see him tomorrow night again? When you visit the prince?"

"I guess," he confirmed, "not sure if he stays after dinner, though."  
"Well, he should," the glaive mentioned, and there was a look on his face that Gladio couldn't quite interpret.

After these -for Gladio- serious topics, they spent the rest of the evening watching mundane yet hilarious videos on the internet.

Eager to meet Ignis again, Gladio arrived early at Noct's apartment the next afternoon. To his surprise, his three friends were already there. 

"Big guy!" Prompto cheered excitedly as soon as Gladio entered the main room. "What's going on with you and Novus?"

The shield rolled his eyes. Ignoring the blond, for now, he went to the fridge to grab a beer. Can in hand, he finally sat down on the corner of the couch next to Prompto. Ignis and Noctis were sitting at the kitchen table. The advisor was facing the kitchen while Noctis was facing the living room. It looked like they were reading some reports, discussing some things from time to time. Of course, Ignis was still working on a Friday afternoon.

"Nothing," Gladio eventually answered Prompto's primary question.   
"Boo!" Prompto exclaimed with a pout, crossing his arms. "And I thought you had a new story to tell. You've changed, big guy!"

From his seat on the couch, Gladio had a perfect view of Ignis's back. That's how he didn't miss the short flinch or the way how Ignis gripped his papers just a bit tighter. Prompto's reply had been nothing but a playful remark, yet unknowingly, he had addressed a serious issue. 

Change.

But not a change for good. That's what his father had warned him about: not to lose his charm, his character traits. That's what Ignis had been afraid of: changing the man he had fallen for into someone else, making him sad.

But Gladio hadn't changed that much. At least, not in that regard.

"Come on, pipsqueak! Who do you think you're talking to?" With a large grin on his face, Gladio put his beer on the coffee table. Scooting over to the blond, he put his right arm around Prompto's shoulders, pulling him closer. "Let me tell you about my passionate night with _Lefty_."

"Lefty?" Prompto asked, the pout already dropping from his face when sparkles of curiosity light up his eyes.

"Lefty," Gladio repeated, holding up his left hand, wiggling his fingers.

Out of the corner of his eyes, he noticed the frown on Noct's face.

Prompto blinked at him in confusion, not yet sure where this was going.

Unperturbed by that, Gladio began his narration. "Did you know that a handjob by someone else feels different than doing it by yourself?" 

"I guess," Prompto replied, not yet having made that experience.

Trying to remember the words of the fanfiction Gladio had read, he stuck close to them. "It's not like the familiar movements of the hand you are used to since it's the hand of a stranger."

Pulling up his knees, Prompto hugged his own legs. His gaze didn't leave Gladio's face, though. "What's different?"

"Well, fingers are thicker or thinner. Skin rougher or softer," the shield listed. "There's another angle, another rhythm. A firm or loose grip."

As always, Prompto's eyes sparkled in excitement. "That's more than I expected. So, how was Lefty?"

"Hm," Gladio paused to think, watching Ignis's back out of the corner of his eye. "Lefty was as expected - the opposite of me."

A smirk found its way to Gladio's lips as he noticed the tips of the advisor's ears turning red. That was proof enough for him that the other had gotten his message. Ignis knew that Gladio had read his fanfiction. Furthermore, the shield had admitted that Ignis's fantasies about him were quite accurate. Usually, Gladio was rough and quick, with no teasing involved. Yet apparently, Ignis had a thing for teasing. It was exciting that they were opposites even in this regard.

"Wait," Prompto mentioned with a frown. "Is Lefty your left hand?"  
"Took you quite some time to get that." Gladio laughed loudly, slapping the younger one's back.  
"Aw, you meanie," the blond complained with a pout. "I really thought you'd been with someone else!"  
"Felt like it," the shield answered with a wink.

"I should start on dinner," Ignis mumbled, yet it was loud enough to be heard by everyone. Still hiding his face from Gladio, the advisor walked to the kitchen. 

Gladio knew that the other enjoyed cooking, yet he still felt lousy for letting him do all the work. However, when he had offered his help last week, it hadn't gone well either. Although that had been due to Ignis's bad mood after work. Still, the shield didn't know if he should offer his help or not.

"I would offer my help, but I really have two left feet when it comes to cooking," Gladio offered eventually.

A short snort left the advisor. "Well, isn't that good for you? Two more _strangers_."

Blinking, Gladio needed a moment to catch on before he burst out laughing. "So, Lefty is a triplet?"

"Is that even possible to reach?" Prompto asked.

"I don't know. Someone would have to try it," Ignis mentioned casually, shrugging his shoulders.

"Don't encourage him," the prince uttered with a groan, but it was too late. Prompto was already trying to get his feet in position but merely ended up sitting cross-legged.  
"It's not easy," the blond mumbled without giving up.

Gladio continued to laugh, and when Ignis finally turned around, there was a smile on his face as well.

"Let's play Twister!" Prompto suddenly announced, his eyes sparkling. 

Ignis pulled up an eyebrow after he took ingredients out of the fridge. "Have fun."

"You won't play with us, Iggy?" Prompto asked with a pout.  
" _Unfortunately_ , someone has to cook," the advisor replied, but Gladio knew it was an excuse. As if Ignis would ever play Twister with them.

"I'll be the referee," Noct mentioned, getting up to fetch the game, "you and Gladio play."

"When did I agree to play?" the shield asked with a huff.  
"Come on, big guy! You're my only hope!" Blue, teary eyes watched him, full of hope.

"Do him a favor," the prince said.  
"Why don't _you_ do him a favor?" Gladio returned.  
" _Unfortunately_ , someone has to tell you where to put your hands and feet," Noct said, mimicking Iggy's tone from earlier.

It was weird that Noct skipped out on this opportunity to get close and touchy with the blond, but maybe it was too risky for him. Gladio would most certainly get a boner from playing Twister with Ignis. Just thinking about it evoked a fluttering feeling inside of him. Maybe it really was a bad idea to play, even if it was only with Prompto.

Yet when he looked into these pleading eyes, it was difficult to resist. When Prompto asked something of him, it was just like when Iris asked something of him. 

"Alright, Chocobo," the shield said with a grin, "get ready to be crushed."  
"I won't lose to you, big guy!" Prompto replied with a smile, confident in his victory. "I'm flexible enough to win every Twister match!"  
"We will see."

While they were busy staring at each other with a challenging gaze, Noct had already spread the mat on the floor next to the dining table.

"Come on, squabblers," the prince called out to them as he sat down at the table, "get your feet on the mat. Blue and yellow at the start." 

Facing each other, Gladio and Prompto stepped on circles from opposite ends of the mat. 

From Gladio's position, Noct was sitting behind him a bit to the left while Ignis was also on his left side, working in the kitchen. However, the advisor glanced over to them from time to time.

The first few instructions of the prince weren't tough to follow for Gladio. Left hand and foot to red and blue, which were located on Gladio's left side. While right hand and foot went to yellow and green, which were to his right. It wasn't even a challenge for him. Prompto, on the other hand, had to place his right hand and foot to the left side and the other way around. Yet at some point, he managed to turn around, his back to Gladio now.

Deciding that friendly playtime was over, Gladio began to move into Prompto's space, using the circles on the blond's side of the map. He had to admit that the younger one really was good at this game. No matter how much he twisted and turned, he never fell. Although he was screaming and complaining all the time. 

At some point, Gladio was sure that Noct wasn't even spinning the spinner for real, just shouting out instructions as he liked, trying to make them suffer. 

Well, the prince could try to manipulate the game like that, yet Gladio still wouldn't lose. By now, Prompto was crouching beneath him, both hands and feet on four circles next to each other. Whereas Gladio had his legs spread, rear up in the air, his arms and hands carrying his weight.

"Oh my," Ignis suddenly whispered somewhere behind him, voice a bit deeper than usual. "I seldom had such an appealing view during cooking."

Was the other checking out his ass? A shudder went through Gladio, cheeks turning red, muscles losing their strength. Without warning, he fell, crushing the blond beneath him. 

Prompto's cheerful cries of victory turned into a muffled yelp as he got buried beneath Gladio's broad frame. The prince was laughing his ass off while the shield tried to take it cool. "Told you you were getting crushed - one way or another."

"Get off me, big guy!" the blond complained, and Gladio complied. 

Standing up, he used his strength to pull Noctis up from his chair with one smooth move. "Alright, princess. You're the next challenger of Prompto the Twistable."

"What? I don't wanna-"  
"No complaints, princess. Or I've traded lunch with you for the last time," the shield threatened, and Noct flinched. Without another word, he turned around, placing his feet on the mat.

"So _you've_ eaten his lunch on Monday," Ignis deducted smoothly. "I've been wondering where it went."

"It was delicious, Iggy. Every single carrot," Gladio emphasized, making Noct shudder.  
"At least someone who appreciates my cooking," the advisor returned, playfully theatrical.  
"Always," Gladio replied with a fond smile and a wink. 

A little blush found its way to Ignis's cheeks before the advisor turned around again, busying himself on the other side of the kitchen.

"Do you wanna keep flirting, or can we start playing?" Noctis asked with a sigh before a wet dishcloth came flying from the kitchen and hit the left side of his face. "The fuck?!"

"Language, Noct," Ignis reprimanded the prince.

Prompto burst out laughing while Gladio whistled in appreciation. "Nice marksmanship."

"I intended to make green curry with zucchini for dinner," Ignis started to explain, his firm gaze locked on their prince, "but if you prefer red curry with _carrots_ just say another word, your highness."

While the blond continued to giggle, Noctis slowly put up the wet cloth that clung to his cheek and threw it to the dining table. Without saying _anything_.

"Alright, kids. Time to get touchy," Gladio announced with a smirk. 

It was hilarious to watch how the two younger men both were too stubborn to lose yet too shy to get close to each other. Never before had Gladio seen a Twister match drag on that long.

Eventually, both agreed on a draw. Dinner was ready by now, and everyone was too hungry to continue playing as the scent of fresh green coconut curry drifted to their noses. 

The main ingredients were simple: rice, zucchini, and chicken. But the curry sauce was full of different spices, and Gladio couldn't stop saying how tasty it was after every bite he took. 

Ignis was getting flustered when Noctis and Prompto agreed with him every time.

At some point, Gladio had mercy on him. "Okay, let's change the subject. How's your magic training coming along?"

"Fine," Ignis stated simply.  
"Oh, magic is so cool! I wanna learn how to shoot laser beams!" Prompto announced happily.  
"You'd be the first to accomplish _that_ with Lucian magic," the prince returned with a snort.  
"Prompto the Twistable twists even the laws of magic!" the blond proclaimed.  
"Sure," Noct returned with a smile, letting the other dream on.

"Will you be staying after dinner?" Prompto asked Ignis, suddenly changing the subject.  
"For another round of Twister?" Gladio added with a smirk, wiggling his eyebrows.  
"Absolutely not," the advisor replied, adjusting his glasses.  
"For a round of Quiz Master 5?" Noctis tried instead, and the advisor was wavering with his answer.

"Ooh," Prompto's eyes lit up, "there is a new version? Let's play it!"  
"Yeah, downloaded it today," the prince replied.  
"You've gotta stay, Iggy!" Prompto begged him, eyes watering up again. "Someone has to answer all these difficult questions, or we'll never get the achievements!"

"Well, that would be terrible," Ignis answered with faked condolence.  
"Yes, really terrible!" Prompto confirmed seriously. "We've gotta team up and win first place together!"  
"Oh? Wasn't that a game where players could play _against_ each other?" the advisor asked, pulling up an eyebrow.  
"Yeah, that's possible as well," Noct returned.  
"Alright. Then I'll stay if we play against each other," Ignis announced.

"Someone's competitive today," Gladio mentioned.  
"Is that a problem?" Ignis wanted to know.  
"No. An Amicitia never backs down from a challenge," Gladio replied with a smirk.  
"Hm," the advisor hummed. "You think you can keep up with me?"  
"I'll try to, at least," the shield replied honestly. He might not be as omniscient as Ignis was, but he knew more than an average person did. At least more than everyone expected. He wasn't just a stupid musclehead. 

"We are doomed." Prompto heaved a sigh, and Noctis nodded.

They finished eating and put the tableware in the dishwasher before Noctis started up his gaming console. Gladio sat down on the corner of the couch, facing the TV like last week. His heart skipped a beat when Ignis sat down between him and Noctis this time. Prompto took his seat left of the prince. 

The by-now-familiar scent of Ignis's perfume was drifting to Gladio's nose again, and a smile slipped to his lips. He could get used to this.

As expected, Ignis was leading the game from the beginning. There were questions to a sheer endless number of different categories, but they had yet to find the advisor's weak point. He knew everything about history, biology, science, music, even celebrities, and movies. 

At one point, there was a question about a videogame Noctis and Prompto had played that Ignis couldn't answer. The two were cheering so hard as if they had won the whole game, but Ignis let them have this small triumph.

Fortunately, most of the questions were easier than Gladio had expected. Beating Ignis was still impossible, but the two younger men were no match for him.

"Know-it-alls are so annoying," Prompto whined after the shield once again answered a history question correctly. Unprovoked by the complaints of a sore loser, Gladio picked up his water bottle to take a sip.

"If they are arrogant, yes," Ignis confirmed before he looked at Gladio, an unusual grin on his face. "But, per se, knowledge makes a person _attractive_." 

Eyes widening in surprise, Gladio noticed his feet getting wet before he realized that he had dropped the bottle.   
"You think so?" he asked in disbelief, still perplexed, not caring about the liquid wetting the floor.

Pulling up an eyebrow, Ignis didn't drop his smile. "You seem to have a problem with water bottles."  
It wasn't an answer to his question, but it was the truth. "You have no idea how much." And Ignis really had no idea how much. The advisor didn't know that Gladio had almost got a boner from watching Ignis drink from a water bottle during Noct's training session weeks ago. Neither did he know about the time Gladio almost started crying when Nyx handed him a water bottle. Nor did he know that Gladio set on a park bank, crying his eyes out, while the freaking water bottle in his hands reminded him of an indirect kiss. There should be a trigger warning for water bottles in Gladio's life.

"I'll get a beer," he stated, already getting up from the couch.   
"Bring a cloth to wipe up this puddle, would you?" Ignis called after him while Prompto shouted, "Yes! Get drunk, big guy! Maybe I've got a chance against you then."

Gladio didn't intend to get drunk that night. Yet he still drank quite a lot. 

Only when the sun woke him up on Saturday morning, he realized that he must have fallen asleep on Noct's couch at some point. He didn't remember when exactly since they had kept playing the game for _hours_. Sitting up slowly, he was glad he at least wasn't hungover. For a moment, he hoped to find the advisor sleeping next to him, but of course, he didn't. Yet he wouldn't complain. It was a progress that Ignis had stayed after dinner, sat down next to him, and -a smile found its way to Gladio's lips- called him _attractive_. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no idea why they played Twister. It just happened. I'm blaming Prompto for it.
> 
> \---
> 
> I hope you've enjoyed reading! Feel free to drop a comment, reading your thoughts and impressions keeps me going ♥
> 
> I'm using Twitter on a daily basis, so if you're ever interested in any updates, you know where to look!  
> [Check out my Profile to find me on Tumblr or Twitter!](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SophiaHoppia/profile)
> 
> [Or simply check out my other fanfictions!](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SophiaHoppia/works)  
> 


	10. Scorching hot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's getting hot. In more than one way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sica, the glaive with the short cameo appearance in this chapter, was my character when I played FFXV Comrades. [Here are some pictures of her!](https://twitter.com/SophiaHoppia/status/1328004935871557639)

Gladio had spent the rest of the weekend at home, reading books. At first, his little sister had complained that he didn't play with her, but once Jared had brought them tea and cookies, Iris had sat down with a book on her own. Her reading skills surpassed those of her classmates by far, and Gladio was proud of that. Their mother had loved to read, as well. She would be happy to see that her kids enjoyed reading just as much as she had.

Monday had fulfilled all stereotypes and been as stressful and negative as Mondays could get. 

Cor had presented them a new training regimen, and if the old one had been from hell, Gladio didn't know where this one was coming from. Maybe only a living legend like the Immortal could follow such a strict plan. The cold rain and harsh wind didn't stop the marshal from letting them train outside as planned. They couldn't argue with him when he said that you can't choose the weather conditions during a real fight either.

Potions and healing magic worked against some bruises and minor injuries, but the fatigue stayed. For once, Gladio went straight to bed after coming home from the Citadel. 

After sleeping for over ten hours, Gladio had an early start on Tuesday. At least, he wasn't tired anymore, but his muscles still yearned for a break.

The first thing he did after arriving at the Citadel was delivering some paperwork about new training weapons to the relevant department. Once that bureaucratic stuff was out of the way, he walked through the hallways towards the training room, intending to get some individual training done.

Along the way, he ran into Domicella, who had just finished putting some fresh flowers into a vase. Her eyes lit up once she spotted him. 

"I've been a bad girl, sir," she purred suggestively, blinking with her long eyelashes. "I might need some spanking to remember my place." 

_Oh, sweet Shiva._  
That sounded like the best way to release some stress after yesterday. However, Gladio had made a decision and didn't intend to waver so easily.

"Sorry. I can't." Rubbing the back of his neck, he avoided her gaze. Declining her wishes made him uncomfortable. 

"Huh. So the rumors are true," Domicella replied, not mad but surprised and a bit disappointed. There was a pout on her face that shouldn't be so cute, her green eyes losing their sparkle. 

Feeling bad for her, the Astrals for once had mercy on him as they presented him with the perfect solution walking down the hallway.

"Well, _I_ can't help you with that, but I know someone who can," he said, leaning on Nyx's shoulder as his friend reached them. 

"Oh? Did I miss something nice?" the glaive asked, a smirk already on his lips as he stopped dead in his tracks.  
"Not nice, something bad," Gladio whispered into his ear, his eyes never leaving Domicella. "She's been a bad, _bad_ girl."

Both men smiled even more as they watched the girl twitch and blush, fiddling with the hem of her maid uniform. 

"Well, I'm free tonight," Nyx mentioned casually before leaning closer, whispering to Domicella's ear, "in case you need a private lesson."  
"Yes, sir, please, I-" she started to babble until Nyx put his forefinger against her lips.   
"Not now. Finish your job and then call me. You still have my number, don't you?"  
"Yes," she confirmed with a nod, biting her bottom lip to stop a _sir_ from tumbling from her lips.  
"Good girl," Nyx praised her, causing a pleasant shudder to run down her back. 

Diligently, she bowed before walking away, eager to continue her work.   
"You're a good wingman, eagle boy," Nyx mentioned with a smirk. "I owe you one."  
"It's fine," Gladio replied honestly. After all, Nyx helped him often enough - in all areas. 

"You up for some sparring?" the glaive asked all of a sudden, a challenging grin on his face.  
"Well, I wanted to do some individual workout, but if the great hero Nyx Ulric asks for a training match, I can't decline." Gladio bowed humbly.

They both burst out laughing.  
"Did some maid's submissive nature rub off on you?" Nyx asked with a wolfish grin.  
"Nah, I'm just teasing you," the shield replied with a shrug.   
"Hopefully, you won't regret it."

Gladio knew his friend wasn't called _hero_ for nothing. His fighting skills were magnificent. They had trained and sparred together quite a few times, both winning, both losing. However, Gladio had to admit that he had lost more often. Especially in the beginning. Nyx had already been such a good fighter that it had swiped Gladio off of his high horse. Being the heir to the Amicitia household didn't make you the strongest person in the Crownsguard by default. Gladio had to learn that lesson one day or another, and he was glad he had been taught it by Nyx. The man could be smug and a tease, but he knew where to draw the line. The glaive never hurt his feelings. Instead, he teased him just enough to motivate him. A good rival was all you needed to keep aiming higher.

Together, they had walked towards the training halls. After putting on their training clothes in the changing room, they entered the hall. A few glaives were already there. Some of them working out on their own, others sparring together. It was a bit cramped in here with so many people, but no one wanted to train outside in the rain - again.

Those who weren't too focused greeted them shortly before they went back to training.

"Anything, in particular, you wanna train with the great Nyx Ulric?" His friend wiggled his eyebrows, and Gladio rolled his eyes. 

"Whoever lands a hit on the other first wins," the shield suggested, already summoning the wooden broadsword he stored in the Armiger for training. 

"You know, I've always been a bit jealous that you can just store and summon weapons like that with the prince's magic," Nyx said, after picking up two wooden daggers from the training weapon arsenal at the entrance of the hall.

"Says the guy who can warp thanks to the king's magic," Gladio deadpanned.

"I would say, maybe you can do that as well someday, but-" the glaive's gaze got serious as he launched his first attack, "you're not affine to magic anyway."

Tilting his broadsword, Gladio used its flat side to block Nyx's attack. They both had a challenging grin on their faces.

"I don't need magic to block you," he quipped.  
"You can't win every fight with raw strength, eagle boy." Faster than humanly possible, Nyx appeared behind Gladio. Thankfully the shield had seen the dagger flying and knew the warp was coming. Training with Noctis had taught him a few things as well. Immediately, he spun around, summoning his shield to block the glaive's attack.

"But, I can win _this_ fight!"   
For a short moment, there was a surprised look on Nyx's face before they both grinned at each other again.

"Hey, hero," someone suddenly called out, "no magic or warping inside the training halls."

"Oh, Sica, come on. Don't be a spoilsport," Nyx replied, a pout on his face. 

Sica, a female glaive with turquoise hair, sighed. "I won't rat you out, but the marshal wanted to come by later. Guess you don't wanna induce _his_ wrath."

"Uh, no." Nyx grimaced. "Thanks for the heads-up, sweetie," he replied with a smirk. Even though Sica rolled her eyes, there was a smile on her face.

"Think you can beat me without your magic tricks?" Gladio teased his friend, knowing full-well that the other wouldn't lose his focus from just that. Instead, Nyx looked even more determined than before.  
"Watch me, eagle boy."

And Gladio did watch him. Losing track of your opponent wasn't wise anyway. They exchanged blow after blow, blocking out everyone else around them.

"How's the prince's training coming along?" Nyx asked nonchalantly, but Gladio knew that the glaive intended to distract him by starting a conversation. However, Gladio could focus on fighting and chatting with his best friend.

"Honestly," he replied while blocking an incoming hit from Nyx's daggers, "he's attending too many meetings lately. There's not much time to train."

"You think that's wise?" The glaive pulled up an eyebrow as he jumped back with ease to avoid getting hit by Gladio's broadsword. "Aren't you responsible for his training?"

"He trains with Cor sometimes," Gladio mentioned as he exchanged his broadsword for his shield again.   
"You mean, he gets his ass handed by Cor," Nyx corrected while he spun around Gladio, intending to hit his back. Having seen it coming, Gladio turned around, blocking the hit.

"Can't deny that," he admitted. Picking up his shield, he used it to attack the glaive. Taken aback by this unexpected move, Nyx's eyes widened. On reflex, the glaive blocked the hit anyway. "Using a shield to _attack_? Nice one, eagle boy."  
"Didn't expect that, _hero_?" Gladio teased him again, and Nyx licked his lips, eyes burning as he accepted the challenge.

"Anyway, you should train more with the prince," the glaive stated, as he started a full-on attack. Gladio blocked the incoming hits of daggers left and right.

"I will." By now, Nyx was following through with it. Gladio's answer was short since he had to focus more on defending now. His friend's attacks were so fast, Gladio couldn't be inattentive for even a second.

"You should train with your sweetheart as well," Nyx suddenly mentioned, and Gladio's gaze darkened.   
"Hey!" He trusted his best friend not to blurt out Ignis's name while others were present, but it made him wary anyway. To his surprise, he had almost fallen prey to the glaive's next strike. By reflex, he managed to take a step back, avoiding getting hit.

However, Nyx hadn't missed the short slip-up. "Did you ever train with _him_?"  
Taking a deep breath, Gladio adjusted his stance, focusing on defending while he ignored the talk. His friend didn't intend to have a decent conversation anymore anyway. Nyx just wanted to tease him, to win this fight.

"He looks sexy in this sleeveless muscle shirt," Nyx continued to rile him up, and Gladio hated how his mind immediately ran wild, coming up with pictures of a shirtless Iggy. "And those tight training leggings," the glaive added with a short moan, "they are complimenting his thighs and ass."

"Fuck!" Gladio exclaimed as he felt the wooden dagger hitting his left shin. He hadn't expected such a low attack, and maybe, he had been distracted for a moment, thinking about Ignis.

"I win," Nyx declared, the usual smug back on his face.  
"Not fair," Gladio mumbled in frustration.

Suddenly, Cor spoke up. "It's your fault for getting distracted."

Gladio hadn't even realized that the marshal had arrived at the training hall. Furthermore, he hadn't noticed that the other glaives who were training here had made some space for Gladio's and Nyx's little duel. He really needed to learn to pay more attention to his surroundings while concentrating on his opponent. 

"Ulric, I've got a mission for you," the marshal said sternly. "Meet me at my office."  
"Yes, sir," Nyx replied dutifully.

Cor left the training room, and everyone let out a breath. They all respected the marshal, but his comments could be harsh. Sometimes he simply walked through the training hall, shouting out the weaknesses and faults of everyone he passed. It was meant well. One needed to know their flaws to correct them. But it could hurt your self-confidence when the marshal saw through one after merely a few seconds of observation.

Nyx had said his goodbyes quickly and left the training hall in a hurry. Before Gladio could even think about searching for another training partner or starting his individual workout now, Sica had already walked up to him.

"Is your shin okay?" She asked, a worried expression on her face. Gladio knew that her healing magic exceeded everyone else's. If you had Sica as a companion, you didn't need any potions.

"Ah, don't worry. It's just a little bruise. It will remind me of my failure," Gladio stated honestly. It didn't hurt that much anyway.  
"Alright," she replied with a relieved smile. "Do you have time to help me with my training?"  
"Sure," he answered.

At once, she picked up a wooden polearm. Surprised by this choice of weapon, Gladio only stared at her. Usually, Sica -true to her name- used daggers.

"Something wrong?" she asked, a thin eyebrow pulled up in question behind her black thick-framed glasses. 

_Fuck_.

With that expression, she looked just like Ignis. Thin eyebrows, glasses, sharp gaze. With a gulp, Gladio gripped the base of his broadsword harder.  
"No, just surprised."

"Ah, because of this?" Once she realized what had puzzled him, she held out her polearm. "You're not the only one who wants to be proficient in more than one weapon. I needed something else than close-ranged daggers, and my throwing or shooting skills aren't the best."

"Very commendable. You used to that thing already?"  
"No," she snorted, "not at all. But I wanna try blocking your hits if that's alright with you."  
"Sure," he replied, already adjusting his stance.

Together, they trained their attacks and defense. Gladio had to admit that even though he had the upper hand in this battle, he sometimes got distracted by thoughts about Ignis. He was blaming Nyx's comment for that. Why did his best friend have to mention Ignis in tight and revealing training clothes? The advisor was always dressed so properly that even showing the bare skin of his underarm seemed scandalous. 

Every time he shook his head to get these thoughts out of his mind, Sica gave him her questioning look again, eyebrow pulled up. Unknowingly, she only made it worse with this Ignis-like gesture. 

While he really enjoyed training with her and improved his defending skills with the shield as she tried attacking him with her polearm, he was glad once they called off their training for a break.

Pondering shortly to take a shower, he decided against it. He would just take a short break to eat something and go back to his individual training then - this time for real.

Picking up his phone and lunch box, he frowned for a short moment. With the rain pouring down outside, his usual spot at the backyard of the Citadel was ineligible today. Since he wanted to spend the break on his own, the cafeteria was out of the question as well.

But where should he go? In the training hall, there were still other glaives working out. He had a small desk crammed into his father's office, but if he remembered correctly his father had a meeting today. He didn't know the exact time, but he didn't feel like walking in on that. 

Suddenly, a thought came to his mind. What if he spent his break together with Ignis? Giddy with this genius idea, he walked through the halls of the Citadel towards his goal. A councilman wrinkled his nose as he saw him in his sweaty training clothes. 

Hopefully, Ignis wouldn't mind seeing him like that. Hesitating, Gladio came to a halt. Maybe that had been a bad idea after all. But where else should he go? 

Taking out his phone, he saw a text message from his best friend.

Nyx:  
 _You really should train with pretty boy sometimes. Why not take your prince as an excuse?_

_Oh, and check out this fanfic. I read it yesterday ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)_   
_[link]_

He shouldn't click on that link right now. The other suggestion, however, sounded nice. 

With newfound determination, Gladio continued his walk towards the advisor's office. Once he arrived, he knocked on the door. When he didn't hear an answer, he frowned.

"Iggy? It's me," he called out after knocking again. 

Still nothing.

"I'm coming in," he announced, slowly opening the door a bit to peek inside.

The office was empty. 

After a short moment of hesitation, Gladio entered the room, closing the door behind him. 

Maybe Ignis had a meeting that didn't finish on time and would be back soon. Deciding to wait for him, he sat down on the couch like last week. As his stomach growled, he took out his lunch box. Jared had made him a salad with chicken and cheese today.

As he chewed on his lunch, his gaze wandered around the room. He had been here before, but he had always paid more attention to Ignis than to the interior. It was a typical office room without much personal touch: No photos on the desk, only a single green plant in the corner of the room - the same type that stood in the hallways. The pictures on the wall showed Noct, Regis, and their ancestors. If it weren't for the sixpack of Ebony coffee standing on the sideboard, this could be anyone's room.

Somehow, Gladio felt a bit sad. Ignis spent so much time in this office, but it had no personal touch. The question was if Iggy was bothered by that or not. Maybe he liked to separate his workspace and his personal life strictly. Or maybe, he was a fan of this boring office style.

A desperate huff tumbled from Gladio's lips as he realized that he had never seen Iggy's apartment. They always met at Noct's flat or at work. He had no idea what kind of furniture or decorations the advisor liked.

It was a sad realization that only evoked one thought inside of Gladio: He wanted to learn more about Ignis, get to know him better.

Remembering Nyx's text message, he took out his phone. If he couldn't talk to Ignis right now, he could at least read one of his fanfictions.

Without further ado, he loaded the fanfic Nyx had linked him. It was called _'Drawn to you'_ and was written from Liber's first-person point of view.

_My heart was pounding._

_Driven by an impulsive idea, I had sneaked into Aegis's material arts school. We were meeting for a date after his training session, but I was supposed to await him_ outside _._

_To my surprise, the building seemed to be empty. It was already late, dark outside. The lights in the hallways were on, and I followed them towards the only enlightened room - like a moth to the flames._

_Inside, I saw Aegis - shirtless. His muscular chest glistened with sweat as he lifted some weights. My gaze traveled to his powerful biceps._

_For a short moment, I thought he was looking up. Immediately I took a step to the right, hiding in the hallway. I pressed my back against the wall while my heart was pounding against my ribcage. No one had said that visitors weren't allowed here, but I still felt like doing something illegal._

_Then, I heard footsteps._

_Aegis was walking towards the door, and I held my breath._

_He left the room without looking to the side I was standing. Instead, he walked in the opposite direction. After a few steps, he dropped his shirt he had been carrying in his hand._

_When Aegis had turned the corner, my feet started moving on their own. As if in a trance, I followed my lover, picking up his shirt on the way._

_Next, I saw an empty water bottle standing on the floor right in front of an opened door. It was the bottle that Aegis had been carrying after leaving the room._

_Drawn to it, I picked it up as well, looking into the room through the opened door. It was a changing room. On the floor, I spotted Aegis's training shorts._

_There was another door inside the room, Aegis's boxer shorts lying in front of them. The sound of water told me where it led: to the showers. Following the trail, I picked up the remaining pieces of clothing._

_Did Aegis expect me to follow him into the shower? He probably did._

_Before I could change my mind, I put his collected clothes on a bench - my own clothes following._

_Naked, I walked into the shower room._

_There was only one shower cubicle occupied, and I had followed Aegis's trail. There couldn't be anyone else here. Still, I was getting nervous as I pushed open the door to the shower._

_The steam of hot water disturbed my sight for a moment, but I immediately recognized my lover anyway._

_He was looking at me, a wolfish grin on his face, as he worked shampoo into his hair with both hands._

_Licking my lips, I went on my knees in front of him. Neither of us spoke a word as I grabbed his already half-hard erection with my right hand._

_He had an expectant look on his face, and I didn't intend to make him wait. At once, I closed my lips around the big tip of the hot flesh._

_As if I weren't there, he continued to wash his hair. Yet his eyes never left me. Impatiently, I took more of his manhood into my mouth while stroking the rest of it with my hand._

_Hot water was splashing down on me as he washed the shampoo out of his hair. Greedily, I continued to suck on him, relishing the feeling of his hot thick member on my tongue._

_I was looking up at Aegis's face, knowing that he appreciated the attention. Everyone looked at the fighter all the time, no matter where he went. But I was the only one he was looking back at._

_A deep moan left me as I realized this. Sucking in a sharp breath at the vibration, Aegis cupped my cheek in appreciation. Our gazes fixed on each other all the time._

_With a questioning look, he slowly took my hand away from his cock before he caressed my cheek and neck with his large hand. Immediately, I understood what he desired. My hands grabbed his muscular thighs. Without breaking his gaze, I relaxed my jaw and took him deeper. And deeper. And deeper. Until my nose bumped against his abdomen._

_A guttural groan left him as pleasure overcame him. For the first time since I had entered the shower, his gaze left me._

_On the one hand, I was sad that he had closed his beautiful brown eyes. On the other hand, I felt proud. After all,_ I _had caused him so much pleasure._

_His lips were slightly apart as he took in deep breaths. His hands were on my cheek and in my hair, grabbing unto me yet not pushing me. Willingly, I sped up my movements._

_Aegis moaned again, opening his blurry eyes only a bit to look down at me. As good as possible, I smiled up at him, never losing my speed. His breath was getting faster, and he licked his lips._

_It didn't take much more until his grip on my hair tightened. Taking that as a sign that he was close, I sucked on him even harder. At once, he squeezed his eyes shut, and I felt his cum shooting down my throat._

_Diligently I drank it all up._

_After a few rugged intakes of air, his breathing calmed down again. As his eyes opened, his gaze was drawing me in. Reluctantly, I let go of his spend member, standing up on shaky knees. Immediately, there was a strong hand on my hips, steadying my stand. His other hand caressed my cheek as we finally both closed our eyes, kissing each other under the hot spray of the shower._

Gladio was rockhard.

Maybe it had been a bad idea to read porn during his lunch break at work. 

If this were one of the romance novels he loved to read, Iggy would walk in on him now, and things would get steamy. 

But of course, that didn't happen. 

Which was probably a good thing. No matter what fanfictions Ignis wrote, he probably wouldn't be happy to find Gladio sitting in his office with a boner.

He needed to calm down.

With a deep breath, he took a look around the office again: simple, modest, functional. His gaze fell on the empty whiteboard. It wasn't perfectly clean, traces of marker still visible at some point, but it was impossible to make out the words.

Gladio stood up.

It was a stupid idea, but he didn't care.

Picking up the marker lying on the board, he opened the cap. With a grin, he wrote, _'Gladio was here'_ in the right bottom corner of the board. When Iggy was sitting on his desk and looked to his right, he would have a perfect view of the words.

After a short moment of hesitation, he turned the dot of the _'i'_ into a heart shape. He was blaming Iris for this childish idea. She always did that when she wrote her name.

With a smile, Gladio put down the pen and looked at his work: perfect.

That made the office at least a little bit livelier. Turning around towards the desk, Gladio took up a pen and a post-it. He should at least leave him a decent note as well after intruding into his office unannounced.

He wrote, _'I wanted to talk to you. Gladio.'_ and pinned the paper to Ignis's telephone receiver. He would have left it on his laptop, but that wasn't in the office. Undoubtedly, Ignis had taken it with him to the meeting.

He was almost out of the room again as he felt a nagging feeling of insecurity. Was he too pushy? Intruding into the advisor's office, leaving a message with a heart on the whiteboard, telling him he wanted to talk to him. Maybe he shouldn't push his luck too much. Ignis wasn't such a hopeless romantic as Gladio.

Walking back to the post-it he had left on the telephone, he hastily added _'about Noct's training'_ to his message. Talking about Noct was work. Ignis shouldn't consider that too pushy.

His handwriting looked even messier than usual since he hadn't written on a flat surface, but who cared. Ignis should be able to read it anyway.

Since his boner had calmed down by now, he left the office again.

In the training hall, he finally began his individual workout. Following his routine and going through the familiar movements felt good. 

He wasn't alone in the hall. Like this morning, there were still some glaives training together or doing a workout on their own, just like Gladio. His body was working on autopilot: squats, sit-ups, push-ups. 

But his mind was elsewhere. After reading that fanfiction, he couldn't stop imagining Ignis sneaking into the shower with him, getting down his knees, his thin lips wrapping around Gladio's-

He shook his head. 

Since he wasn't alone here, he shouldn't think about that now. Either way, he shouldn't think about that at work. 

Somehow, he managed to finish his training. As if to punish himself, he worked out even more than planned. When his muscles finally screamed in pain, he knew he had to stop. 

It had gotten late. The other glaives had gone already, leaving Gladio alone in the training halls. His legs hurt when he walked to the changing room and then to the shower stalls. Maybe he had trained a bit too much, especially after Cor's training session yesterday.

As soon as he stepped into the shower, he knew he couldn't fight down his urges any longer. His cock was already half-hard. Since he was the last one here, he could give in to his fantasies. It wouldn't be the first time he jerked-off here.

Turning on the hot water, he enclosed his erection. A groan left him as his body finally got what it had craved for hours. Looking down at his hand, stroking up and down his shaft, he closed his eyes. 

In his imagination, it wasn't his hand working him to climax but Ignis's mouth. Would he look up at him like Liber had? The image of Ignis kneeling in front of him was way too sexy. Sharp green eyes were looking up at him, glasses askew, filigree eyebrows just a bit furrowed as thin lips were wrapped around his member.

His orgasm hit him so suddenly that he couldn't stop the moan tumbling from his lips. _Shit._ That had been fast. A desperate chuckle left him as he tried to get his breathing back under control.

While he showered for real, his thoughts still lingered with his fantasy of Ignis blowing him. That was an image that would haunt him for at least a few more days. 

Putting on his clothes, he left the changing room. 

"Ah, Gladiolus," Ignis called out to him in the hallway. Gladio had to blink a few times to realize that the advisor was really standing there. That wasn't his fantasy. 

Embarrassed, he felt his cheeks flaring up.  
"Oh, um, hi," he mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck. 

Ignis pulled up an eyebrow in question - just like Sica had done this morning, but somehow sexier. "Is everything alright?"

"Sure," he replied hoarsely before clearing his throat. 

There was a moment of silence when Ignis studied his face, trying to read his thoughts. Gladio needed to get out of his dirty fantasies and take this chance reality had presented him with. 

"Actually-"  
"About-"

Both started at once but stopped immediately. They laughed.

"You first," Ignis offered.  
"No, _you_ first," Gladio insisted. The advisor pulled up his eyebrow again, giving him _that look_ , unknowing what it did to Gladio.

"About Noct's training," Ignis said once more, "or his training in general, well. _Astrals_ , that wasn't even a complete sentence."

"Oh? Are you too nervous to talk to me, Iggy?" Gladio teased him with a smirk that only earned him a stern gaze. Hastily he added, "You can always talk to me. You know that, don't you?"

"Likewise," the advisor mumbled, chewing on his bottom lip as he averted his eyes. "Not only about Noct's training. You don't need an excuse to talk to me."

Gladio took in a sharp breath. Ignis's cheeks had turned pink, and he was chewing on his bottom lip again. That statement had to be about the post-it he had left in the advisor's office. Maybe -due to the even messier handwriting- the other had realized that Gladio had added that part about Noctis later.

"Anyway," Ignis suddenly announced, looking at him again, his stoic business-face back in order. "Noct is neglecting his training lately, and I need to refine my skills as well. Maybe the three of us should train together? In a worst-case situation, Noct has to be able to fight off more than one opponent on his own. Therefore, he should train to fight against more than one opponent."

"Actually, that's what I wanted to talk about as well," Gladio admitted. Nyx had suggested training with Ignis, and Gladio wanted to. Even if he was still using their prince as an excuse. 

"So we agree," Ignis replied, a small smile on his lips. "When do you have time to spare? Or to _spar_ ," he added with a smirk.

Gladio huffed as a chuckle tumbled from his lips. What a pun.

"Whenever you are free. Noct, and you are far busier with all these council meetings."  
"I'm afraid that's true," the advisor replied, taking out his phone to check his schedule. "The meeting after tomorrow's lunch break got canceled. If you are free, then?"  
"Of course," Gladio replied without checking his own schedule. He would always make time to meet up with Ignis. And as long as the prince was involved, he had the perfect excuse anyway.

"Alright. See you tomorrow then," Ignis replied before he left. Gladio kept standing in the empty hallway for a while, looking after him. When he awoke from his trance, he picked up his phone to call Nyx, intending to tell him about this small triumph. Right before his thumb pressed the call button, he remembered that his friend had a date with Domicella tonight. He shouldn't disturb them.

Putting his phone away again, he went home.

On Wednesday morning, Gladio made sure to reserve one of the smaller training halls. No one would question it when the shield wanted to train with the prince. No one had to know that, in reality, Gladio only cared about being alone with Ignis. As alone as possible with Noct still there, but it was a beginning.

Once that was done, he spent the rest of the morning with paperwork. Fortunately, there wasn't much. He didn't even have his own office, just a desk crammed into his father's office. There was a content smile on Clarus's face as he watched his son diligently working. 

In reality, Gladio had to read every sentence three times before he really got what was standing on these papers. Fortunately, he had always been slow with paperwork, so it didn't attract attention.

His thoughts were drifting to the afternoon. What would Ignis be wearing for training? Would they really focus on Noct's training? Or would they also spar with each other? Maybe that was his chance to get physically closer with Iggy. If only during a training match. He was desperate enough to look forward to even this kind of contact.

The day seemed to drag on endlessly as he read through boring papers, but eventually, it was time for his lunch break. He devoured his meal faster than was good for him, choking on the last bite. 

Nonetheless, he ran off towards the training hall afterwards. He had changed into a black tank top and slack knee-length black shorts. Usually, he preferred tighter pants for training, but he didn't trust his body to get through a training session with Iggy without getting an awkward boner at least once.

When the other two entered the training hall, Gladio was already glad about his decision. Ignis wore a sleeveless white muscle shirt, showing his pale bare upper arms. But what was even more intriguing were the dark blue leggings he was wearing. Leggings. Tight leggings. Tight enough to see the bulge at his crotch.

" _Astrals_!" Gladio exclaimed, turning around to look away. He pressed his hands to his face and counted to ten. 

Nyx had told him. His fantasies had come up with many different pictures. However, nothing could have prepared him for _that_ view. 

"Is something wrong?" Ignis asked, genuine concern in his voice. He was oblivious to his own attractiveness. Somehow, that turned on Gladio even more.

"You should start with some warm-up exercises," Gladio instructed, still not looking at them.   
"Guess you're already feeling _warm_ enough, huh?" Noctis replied with a snort. Once their training started, Gladio would make sure the little brat didn't have anything to tease him about anymore. For now, he just ignored him.

Eventually, his boner didn't feel like it would burst out of his shorts at any moment anymore, so Gladio turned around. Noct was wearing his black shirt and shorts, as usual, lazily stretching his arms. While Ignis was stretching his legs. Long, flexible legs, clad in tight blue leggings.

Gladio turned around again, taking another deep breath. 

"Today will be interesting." Noct sounded amused.   
"Yes, it will," Gladio retorted, turning around to watch his charge. "Because you'll have to defend yourself against two opponents."  
"You're ganging up on me?" The prince whined.  
"Indeed," Ignis answered, finally done with showing off his flexibility. 

As Ignis summoned his daggers, Gladio remembered something.   
"Ever thought about using another type of weapon?"  
"Actually, yes," the advisor admitted, although he looked a bit uncomfortable. "I have tried everything the Citadel has to offer, but I couldn't decide on anything yet."

"Many dagger users chose a polearm as their secondary weapon," Gladio explained, "to cancel out the short range of your daggers."  
"I can always throw my daggers, but I know what you mean," Ignis replied.  
"I think a polearm would be suitable for your style of fighting. Why not use today's training session to get comfortable with another weapon then?" Gladio suggested, intending to impress the other man with his teaching skills. If there was anything he excelled at, it was fighting. 

"Well," Ignis said, biting his bottom lip, "a polearm is a bit-" he broke off, making a vague gesture with his hand, Gladio didn't get.  
"Huh?"  
The advisor cleared his throat. "It reminds me of something else, so I'm not sure I can use it in battle."

Noctis snorted. "I think I know what you're hinting at, but you just made it sound worse than it actually is."  
"Noctis," Ignis hissed.

Gladio couldn't deny that a bit of jealousy was flaring up inside of him. These two shared way too many secrets. "What?" he asked, maybe a bit too gruff. 

"Nothing, I'll try it," Ignis simply replied, exchanging his daggers with a wooden polearm in a spark of magic. If he had already stored the weapon in his Armiger, he had to be serious about his choice. So why was he hesitant about using it?

"Alright, I'll use my shield then," Gladio mentioned, dropping the topic of Ignis's weapon for now. First, he had to observe him using it. The way he had his long fingers slung around the handle made Gladio gulp. He wanted these fingers slung around _his pole_ instead.

"For attacking?" Noctis asked, taking Gladio back to reality before it was too late.  
"Yeah," he simply confirmed, making the prince frown.  
"Whatever," Noct returned, summoning his usual sword. Soon, Gladio would get the younger one to use another weapon as well. But for now, the boy had to master his sword skills.

"Enough talking," Gladio announced, adjusting his stance, "try blocking our attacks while landing a hit on us, _your highness._ "

The prince flared his nostrils at the teasing use of his title. Immediately he launched an attack on Gladio. Without any feint, it was easy for Gladio to block. He merely held his shield in front of him, letting Noct's sword bounce off from it. 

"What a lousy attack was that, _princess_?" He continued to rile his charge up.  
"Shut up!" Noctis side-stepped to hit Gladio's hip, but Ignis held his polearm between them, blocking the hit for him.

"Nice one, Iggy," Gladio returned, a proud smile on his face. He knew the other would be able to handle that weapon. 

Swinging his shield, Gladio hit it flat against Noct's stomach, and the prince stumbled back a few steps. There was an angry look on his face, but even as Gladio mockingly pulled up an eyebrow, the prince kept standing there in a defensive stance. Maybe he was finally learning not to fall for Gladio's provocations.

Intending to get some training out of this afternoon as well, Gladio launched forward. Attacks with his shield were slower than attacks with his broadsword, but he still felt like it could be useful from time to time. Noct had seen him coming, and this time the prince managed to block him. At once, Noct swung his sword, but Gladio was fast enough to prevent getting hit. When it came to repelling attacks, he had gotten used to his shield by now.

The moment he took a step back, out of Noct's reach, Ignis took his place, attacking Noct with the polearm. The prince avoided the weapon, used his sword to land a hit on Iggy's thigh instead. They both took a few steps back to gain some distance again.

"We're even now," Noct replied with a smile, referring to the hit Gladio had landed on him before.  
"My apologies," Ignis said next to him.   
"No need. That's what training sessions are for. We will win eventually," Gladio announced, self-confident.  
"Certainly," the advisor confirmed with a smile, and Gladio felt his motivation rise.

Soon, they all got absorbed in training, exchanging blows after blows. Gladio and Ignis managed to land some hits on Noctis, while the prince got a few more hits on his advisor. 

"You're getting too close, Iggy," Gladio stated after observing their battle for a while. "You're not using your close-range daggers. Try to keep some distance from your opponent. He won't be able to hit you then."  
"Alright." Ignis nodded after listening to the instructions.

Taking a step back, Gladio intended to watch them once more. Noct wasn't making it easy for Ignis as he kept up his defensive stance, waiting for the advisor's attack.

Ignis ran forward, pointing his polearm at Noctis like a lance. There was a confident grin on the prince's face as he held up his sword, ready to block the predictable attack. However, before Ignis was within Noct's reach, he slammed the polearm to the floor. Upholding his own body weight with only his hands, Ignis swung around the pole. It was a move that required a lot of balance and body tension, but it looked so easy. When Noct realized what was coming, he took up his arm, but it was already too late. Iggy's feet hit the left side of the prince's face, causing him to drop his weapon. Gracefully the advisor landed on his feet again, hands still wrapped around his polearm.

"My apologies, Noct," Ignis uttered as if he only now realized what had happened. Dropping his weapon, he used his hands to cradle Noct's face, inspecting his cheek.

"It's fine," the prince mumbled, turning his head to get away from the touch.  
"We have to cool it before it starts to swell," Ignis explained, already walking over to his training bag, which he had left on the bench of the training hall. Pulling out a water bottle and a towel, he made the fabric wet before he cooled it with ice magic - just like he had done last week when Gladio had gotten hit by that maid.

Always the mother hen, Ignis tried to hold the towel against Noct's cheek. The prince, however, grumpily took it from him, holding it against his face on his own.

"That move was amazing," Gladio finally admitted once they had made sure that Noctis wasn't severely hurt. "How are you so good with this?"

"Well, I-" Ignis started to explain but let off without finishing his sentence. Instead, he walked back to his bag, taking some sips from his water bottle.

"He's used to grabbing poles," Noctis suddenly mentioned with an evil grin, and Ignis had to cough, almost choking on the water.

"Noct!" he hissed after putting down the bottle and wiping his mouth with the back of his head.

"Enlighten me," Gladio requested, his eyes darting from one man to the other. The two of them merely exchanged a look, no one saying anything.

"Alright." Gladio stored away his shield to cross his arms. "If you don't intend to share the truth, I'll keep thinking that Ignis is used to grabbing _dicks_."

"Pole dance!" Ignis exclaimed, flustered, whereas Noctis only burst out laughing, even though the movement made his cheek hurt again.

"What?" Gladio blinked, perplexed. Surely he had heard that wrong.

Ignis took a large gulp out of his water bottle before he spoke up again. "I used to do pole dance," he repeated. "I had lessons for a while. It was a good way to improve my flexibility besides yoga."

Gladio had known about yoga. But pole dance? That was on a whole other level of unexpected sexiness.

"I was afraid it would make my fighting style with the polearm look," he hesitated again, " _strange_."

"No, not at all! It was magnificent. Made me wanna see more of it," Gladio admitted without thinking, and Iggy's cheeks got rosy. 

"I'm not that good at-" the advisor started, but Noct interrupted him.  
"You're good at _everything_ , Iggy. And I've seen you pole dance."

" _You've_ seen him?" Gladio exclaimed, not hiding the jealousy behind it. Noct only smiled as he gave him a peace sign.

Running his fingers through his hair, Gladio sighed. Of course, Noct had seen Iggy squirming and grinding against a pole. Even though it probably hadn't been as sexual as Gladio was thinking right now.

"I need a swig to cool off," he said, holding his hand out towards Ignis, who had just taken another sip from his water bottle.

The moment they realized what Gladio had just said, they both blushed. 

_That indirect kiss between Aegis and Liber._

However, Gladio wouldn't take it back now. 

For a moment, both men stared at each other, then at the bottle. Eventually, they both started to laugh. 

Ignis handed him the bottle, and Gladio took a large gulp. The water was cold in his mouth, but he still felt hot as he laid his lips around the same bottle Ignis's lips had been on just seconds ago. Provokingly, Gladio let his tongue swirl around the head of the bottle before handing it back. Somehow he managed a smug grin and a wink, even though his heart was beating way too fast.

Ignis huffed in disbelief, but the way he carefully accepted the bottle back as if it were the most precious thing in the world, told his true feelings.

A faint blush found its way to Ignis's cheek as he took another sip from the bottle.

Suddenly, heat was rising to Gladio's face as he watched these sinfully thin lips wrap around the plastic. Pressing a hand to his mouth, he suppressed an embarrassing sound from escaping his lips.

Gladio had done so many intimate things in his life, yet here he was blushing like a pubertal teenager over an indirect kiss.

"So, a water bottle makes both of you blush more than the fact that Iggy used to pole dance?!" Noctis asked in amused disbelief.

"Shut it, virgin," Gladio retorted, and the prince rolled his eyes.

"That was enough for today," Ignis suddenly announced, averting his gaze. Gladio was wondering if he had pushed too far, but that was probably only his insecurity talking to him.

"We should train together more often," the shield offered carefully.  
"Certainly," the advisor confirmed. "I'm afraid every week would be difficult with my schedule, but every second week should be possible."

"Perfect," Noct interjected, "so if I skip, you two got a date every two weeks from now on."  
"You won't skip your training," Gladio and Ignis replied in unison, although Gladio wouldn't mind being alone with his love interest.

With a roll of his eyes, Noctis left the training hall, walking over to the changing room and showers. Ignis wanted to follow him but hesitated shortly, his gaze darting to Gladio, almost panicked.

Was he embarrassed?

"I'll continue to train on my own for a bit," he mentioned. Ignis's face went from relieved to apologetic before he bowed and left the hall as well.

Sucking in a sharp breath, Gladio tried not to imagine Ignis undressing in the room next to him. It would be a perfect opportunity to sneak a peak, but he wouldn't do it. It didn't feel fair. Instead, he really got some individual training done.

On Thursday, Gladio had spent most of his time at the Citadel on his own - and he was grateful for it. Somehow, he felt exhausted from this week, and his body craved for a break. 

Therefore, he was looking forward to a relaxing evening with his best friend. 

The first thing he said when Nyx opened the front door was, "I need a beer."  
"How unfortunate," the glaive replied. "And here I thought we could share that Whiskey I've bought."  
" _Astrals_ , I love you," Gladio exclaimed as he walked inside, sloppily taking off his shoes without leaning down.  
"How scandalous!" Nyx exclaimed as he opened the freezer compartment of his refrigerator to take out some ice cubes. "Wait until pretty boy hears that!"  
"I need some alcohol before we talk about him," Gladio replied as he flopped down on the mattress face first, burying his face in the soft sheets. "Dmell ne mhanout Dnomimhena mhirst," he mumbled into the bed.

"I'm waiting for the day when you remember that you're difficult to understand when you're burying your face like that," Nyx said with a chuckle as he sat down on the bed.

Gladio groaned but turned around anyway. Leaning up on his elbows, he accepted the glass with Whiskey and ice cubes from his friend. After taking a small sip, relishing the way it burned in his throat, he handed the glass back toward the glaive. "Tell me about Domicella first."

After taking a sip from the same glass as well, Nyx smiled. "Short version or detailed version?"  
"Short version," Gladio replied since he was interested but had already had enough unexpected boners this week.

"We fucked," Nyx stated simply.  
"Dude," Gladio huffed, playfully shoving his friend, "not _that_ short."

Nyx chuckled. "She offered to clean my room while wearing her shorter maid uniform and no underwear."  
Gladio sucked in some breath. "She likes to be watched?"  
"Oh yes," the glaive replied with a deep growl. "She was getting wet just from me watching her lean over."

"Where did you fuck her?" Gladio asked, knowing his friend well enough to know that it wouldn't have been on the bed.  
"First time, I had her ride me while I sat in the armchair watching TV," Nyx pointed towards the piece of furniture, and Gladio couldn't help but imagine the scene playing out right in front of his eyes. "When you had set us up in the morning, she had asked to be _punished_ after all. So ignoring her was the easiest way to rile her up. Later, I took her bent over the table."

" _Fuck_ ," Gladio exclaimed as he imagined that as well.   
"That's what we did, yes," Nyx confirmed. After taking another sip from the Whiskey, he handed the glass towards Gladio. He accepted it gratefully. The alcohol made his cheeks heat up even more. 

Returning the glass, he laid back down, not even bothering to hide the tent that had formed in his pants.

"So, what sexy things can _you_ tell _me_ about?" Nyx asked with his gaze on Gladio's bulge.

"Iggy's leggings," Gladio mentioned, closing his eyes and licking his lips as he remembered the sight.  
"The black or the blue ones?"  
"There's more than one pair?!" He opened his eyes again, looking up at Nyx's smirking face.

"Uh-huh, the black ones look tighter," the glaive explained. Gladio's eyes widened in shock.  
"The blue ones already gave me blue balls!"

Nyx laughed, but he soothingly caressed Gladio's underarm before he intertwined their fingers. "Wasn't there any _release_ for you this week?" His voice was soft, caring.

"There was," Gladio replied, squeezing his best friend's hand. "I've read the fanfic you've sent me."  
"Oh? Did you imagine Ignis sucking you off?"   
"Of course," he confirmed unashamed.  
"When? Where?"

Gladio snorted. "Would you believe if I said at night in my bed?"  
"No," Nyx returned honestly with a chuckle.  
"In the shower after training," he admitted sincerely.  
"After seeing Iggy in these leggings?"

"No. The fanfic was two days ago. But after training with Ignis yesterday, I showered at home and jerked off there."  
"Suddenly afraid to get caught or what?" Nyx asked playfully.  
"More afraid that I wouldn't be able to stop. The thought that I could use the same shower, Ignis had used moments before-" Gladio sucked in a harsh breath. "That was too much."  
"You're weird sometimes," Nyx exclaimed but meant no harm. Reaching for their glass, he took a sip before offering it to Gladio again.

"Why is it not weird to share a glass of Whiskey with you like that?" Gladio asked, his thumb tracing the rim of the glass.  
"Hm?"  
"I'm doing this without a second thought. Whenever Iggy is involved, I'm getting nervous over an indirect kiss," Gladio admitted before he took a sip.

"Seriously?" Nyx studied his face, gaze sharp as he tried to figure out if Gladio's statement had been genuine.

"Remember that scene with the water bottle in Iggy's fanfic?"  
Nyx looked up in thought for a moment before his expression lit up. "Ah yeah, when Liber watched Aegis train, right?"

"Yeah. Iggy had written that chapter after he had drunk from my Pumpkin Spice Latte at the coffee shop."  
"You're kidding me."  
"No, man, I'm serious," Gladio huffed. "Yesterday, we had a similar scene as in the fanfiction when I asked for a sip from his water bottle after training."  
"Intentional?"  
"I had spoken up before I realized what I had said. I was trying to play it cool, but I got flustered in the end."  
"I can't decide if that's hilarious or cute," Nyx admitted, letting go of Gladio's hand to pinch his cheek instead.  
"Ouch!" the younger one complained. "Anyway, it's not cute that I'm thinking about that every time I see a water bottle."   
"Wait," Nyx's eyes suddenly widened. "Is _that_ why you freaked out some weeks ago when I offered you a water bottle? On that day, you had delivered that letter to pretty boy?"

When Nyx said it like that, Gladio almost felt stupid for it. "Yes," he mumbled quietly, averting his gaze.  
"Oh, eagle boy," Nyx cooed, cradling his head and placing a quick kiss on his forehead. "Tell me these things sooner."  
"It's stupid," the younger one mumbled.  
"Honestly? Yes. But tell me anyway." 

Gladio reciprocated Nyx's smile. He really was blessed with the best of all best friends.

After a relaxing evening with Nyx, Gladio managed to get through his workday on Friday. Even though it dragged on longer than planned. Some new recruits must have pissed off Cor in some way -Gladio didn't dare ask the enraged man- and had gotten punished with an additional training session. Needless to say that Cor had tasked Gladio with overseeing that session while he took off in the early afternoon.

Knowing that disobeying this order would leave him at the mercy of the combined rage of Cor and his father -if he ever heard about this incident- Gladio accepted his fate.

At least Novus wasn't one of the three recruits who suffered through this painfully long afternoon with him. He made sure to work these three through the bone, jogging lap after lap around the Citadel with them until they really couldn't keep up with his stamina anymore. 

At the end of the day, he earned their respect. So it hadn't been in vain.

When he finally arrived at Noct's apartment, the others were already there. A fragrance that smelled suspiciously like pizza drifted from the oven. Gladio had no idea how the boys had convinced Ignis to make pizza, but he was grateful for it. The advisor was cleaning up the kitchen while Noct and Prom sat on the couch.

"Big guy!" Prompto yelled cheerfully, patting the couch next to him. Gladio would have liked to join Ignis in the kitchen, trying to pick up a conversation, but he didn't mind entertaining the blond either. They hadn't seen each other since last week, and it was always entertaining to tease funny reactions out of him.

Sitting down in the corner of the couch next to his blond friend, he put his left arm on the backrest behind them. "Hey, pipsqueak. How's it going?"

For a second, Prompto pouted because of the nickname, but soon he smiled again. "Good! How was your week? Any _adventures_ to share?"

Gladio snorted at the way Prompto wiggled his eyebrows. The young man would never get tired of listening to Gladio's stories. 

As always, Noct rolled his eyes, trying to appear uninterested as he played King's Knight on his phone. 

"I've had some fun, yeah," Gladio replied, putting on a smirk that rivaled Nyx's.  
"Really? When?" Prompto turned around a bit, sitting cross-legged on the couch, facing Gladio now, his back towards Noct and the kitchen.   
"Hm," Gladio pondered for a moment, "late afternoon or early evening on Tuesday."

" _Tuesday_?" Ignis suddenly perked up from the kitchen.  
"Huh? Something wrong, Iggy?" Prompto asked innocently.  
"No, don't mind me," the advisor replied. A grin spread to Gladio's face. Of course, the advisor remembered that they had met in the hallway at that time after Gladio had just left the changing room.

"I've had some fun in the shower after training," the shield admitted, and while Prompto's eyes widened in awe, Noct contorted his face. The prince side-eyed him with a gaze that asked if he really had to do that at the Citadel, but Gladio didn't let himself be bothered by that.

"Weren't you afraid to get caught?" Prompto wanted to know.  
"That's part of the fun," Gladio replied, wiggling his eyebrows, and Prompto shuddered with excitement. "Although it was very late, and I was probably the last one there anyway. But you can never be sure," Gladio added next. While he talked to Prompto, he was looking past him, trying to observe Ignis's reaction. As always, the advisor was facing the other side of the kitchen, his back towards the living room.

"Why in the shower anyway? Had someone flirted with you during training?" Prompto asked with a frown.  
"Nah, I had read a fanfiction during my lunch break. That had riled me up more than expected." He didn't miss the exact moment Ignis realized that Gladio must have read that fanfiction in _his_ office. Turning around, the advisor threw him one incredulous look, cheeks already pink. When Gladio smirked, Ignis flinched and turned back around again.

_Shit_ , that was even more fun than teasing Prompto.

"A fanfiction again, huh?" The blond grinned. "You're more into reading porn than watching porn, aren't you?"  
"Maybe." Gladio shrugged. "Words can be filthy, after all."  
"Did someone whisper filthy words to you in the shower?" Prompto asked, and Gladio was a bit surprised by how forward the younger one was today. Although his head already was as red as a tomato.

"That sounds like a nice idea, actually. Someone whispering dirty instructions out to me," Gladio admitted, and he observed Ignis taking a deep breath.

"Uwah!" Prompto exclaimed, wiggling left and right, unable to sit still anymore with all his excitement. 

"But no. I was alone, and I was needy, craving release fast," Gladio admitted.  
"So it wasn't Lefty this time?" Prompto nodded towards Gladio's left hand.

"Nah, it was Righty. But I imagined something else. _Someone_ else," Gladio spoke slowly, his eyes never leaving Ignis's back. "It was inspired by that fanfiction I had read. The most attractive man: kneeling in front of me, blowing me."

"Tell me more, tell me more, tell me more," Prompto shouted excitedly, wiggling left and right, throwing his arms up with an excessive amount of energy, blocking Gladio's view on Ignis. Unfortunately, the advisor hadn't shown any reaction anyway during Gladio's last words.

"I imagined hands with thin fingers but a strong grip holding onto my strong thighs," Gladio continued his narration, focusing on Prompto now. The sparkles were back to his blue eyes. "I imagined thin lips wrapping around me while sharp green eyes stared up at me. _Glasses askew_."

" _Astrals_!" Ignis suddenly cursed, dropping the hot baking tray. With a loud clattering noise, it landed on the opened oven door.

In an instant, Gladio had jumped up from the couch and run to the kitchen. Immediately he deduced that Ignis had burned his fingers as he had -for whatever reason- tried to take the pizza out of the stove without any potholders. 

Without a second thought, Gladio grabbed Ignis's left hand and took his burned fingers into his mouth.

Ignis stared at him in shock.

His cheeks turned even redder than the burned skin on his hand, his expression more flustered than Gladio had ever seen it.

Gladio gulped as realization dawned on him. He shouldn't take something into his mouth seconds after talking about blowjob fantasies.

"Fuck," he exclaimed as he turned on the cold water, holding Ignis's hand under the splashing stream without letting go. "Sorry, reflex. I always do that when Iris gets hurt in the kitchen," he explained.

Ignis bit his lip without replying. His head was turned away from Gladio, and he looked down. But Gladio could still see the red tip of his ear. He felt Ignis's hand trembling, trying to pull away, but Gladio steadied his grip. Ignis might be embarrassed, but he needed to cool that.

"Do we need a potion?" Prompto asked, looking close to tears with worry. Noct had a stern expression on his face. Almost like the one he had had three weeks ago when he had stood between Gladio and Ignis in his living room, protecting his advisor from any harm.

Inspecting the skin on Ignis's fingers under the running water, Gladio finally spoke up, "It should be okay."

Prompto relaxed a bit, but Noctis's expression hadn't changed. As the prince slowly started to move, Ignis finally said quietly, "It's fine."

Noctis's eyes flicked to the advisor for a second before he leaned back against the backrest of the couch. "Don't worry, Prom," the prince said eventually.  
"But-"  
"Help me with that boss stage," Noctis asked, picking up his phone again.  
"If you say so," the blond mumbled but looked over to the kitchen once more. 

Gladio gave him what he hoped to be a reassuring smile, and Prompto focused on gaming together with the prince, the familiar music of King's Knight already hearable from their phones.

Clearing his throat, Gladio pondered what to say. His hand was still wrapped around Ignis's wrist, holding his hand under the spray of cold water. 

"Did you forget to use potholders?" Gladio asked quietly, but the advisor didn't answer, his gaze still averted. "That's not like you," he added.

"I was distracted," Ignis eventually replied, his voice sounding small and rough.  
"Oh," Gladio exclaimed, blaming himself for what had happened.

"Liber," Ignis suddenly announce -quiet enough that the others wouldn't hear him- turning his head to look into Gladio's eyes, "doesn't wear glasses."

Gladio stared into sharp green eyes, wavering with an unusual uncertainty. Ignis still looked flustered, cheeks red, glasses askew. Almost like they had been in Gladio's imagination.

He gulped.

"Liber doesn't wear glasses," he confirmed quietly, and Ignis bit his quivering bottom lip. "But," Gladio took a deep breath, looking right into Ignis's beautiful green eyes, "the person I imagined _does_."

Ignis took in a sharp breath. He pulled up his shoulders, his eyes widening in shock, the color of his cheeks turning even redder. In an instant, he had ripped his wrist free from Gladio's grip.

Faster than anyone could comprehend, Ignis had grabbed his bag and was running out of the living room.  
"I've gotta go," he announced on his way, but his voice sounded weirdly rough.

"Iggy?" Noctis sprung up from the couch in worry, following his advisor out of the room.  
"My apologies, Noct. I'll call you," Ignis replied.  
"But-"

Gladio heard the sound of the entrance door getting slammed shut.

The water of the faucet was still running, Gladio's lonely hand under its spray. Noctis slowly walked back into the room, turning off the water. He patted Gladio's upper arm in a consoling gesture, quietly telling him that it wasn't his fault.

But Gladio felt like it had been his fault.

Maybe he had pushed Ignis too far.

Prompto was confused why Ignis had left so suddenly, but Noctis came up with some kind of excuse. 

Eventually, they ate the pizza together. As always, it tasted great. Yet it was different without Ignis being there. Gladio's eyes kept wandering to the empty kitchen even as Noct turned on the TV to watch a movie.

Gladio didn't stay long that night. He wasn't in the mood for games anymore.

Instead, he went home early, tossing and turning in his bed until he eventually fell asleep.

He spent his weekend at home, pondering what he had done wrong. Things had been getting better between them lately, but maybe that kind of dirty confession had been too much too fast. 

At some point, he had called Nyx. His best friend was out of town this weekend on a short trip with Libertus. Nonetheless, the glaive did his best to assure Gladio that his situation with _pretty boy_ probably wasn't as bad as he feared. Gladio tried to believe in his friend's judgment as he ended the call with a sigh anyway.

He didn't miss the worried look his father gave him when he hung around on the couch of the living room, but he didn't manage to force a smile to his lips either.

At least he wasn't getting drunk, didn't spend his time sitting in the rain and didn't neglect his duties. 

That was, probably, why Clarus just let him be after sighing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm almost feeling sorry for making Gladio suffer again.  
> \---  
> I hope you've enjoyed reading! Feel free to drop a comment, reading your thoughts and impressions keeps me going ♥
> 
> I'm using Twitter on a daily basis, so if you're ever interested in any updates, you know where to look!  
> [Check out my Profile to find me on Tumblr or Twitter!](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SophiaHoppia/profile)
> 
> [Or simply check out my other fanfictions!](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SophiaHoppia/works)


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cardgames, a coffee shop, porn, and more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my lovely readers!
> 
> Since the chapters always cover one week, they tend to get longer and longer the more stuff happens. I might not be able to keep up the weekly updates since I haven't finished chapter 12 yet. 
> 
> But for now, have fun with chapter 11!

Since Gladio had been in a bad mood since Friday night, Monday felt even more terrible than usual. Cor had been training him, yet Gladio had made too many mistakes during their swordfight. Therefore, the marshall didn't even see any merit in fighting against him any longer. Instead, he had sent him running lap after lap around the Citadel. A desperate chuckle left Gladio's lips as he remembered Friday afternoon when he had been running with the young recruits as well.

Running was easy, even if his concentration slipped away. His legs were moving on their own while his thoughts traveled back to Friday evening. Gladio still didn't know for sure why Ignis had left so suddenly. Had he only been embarrassed, or had Gladio pushed him too far with his vulgarities?

Somehow, he felt sent back in time to last month before he had known that Ignis wasn't as prim and asexual as he always had used to think. Back then, he wouldn't have dared to tell Ignis -more or less explicitly- that he had thought about _him_ while jerking off. But by now, he knew that the other man wasn't disgusted by sexual stuff. 

Gladio stopped in his tracks.

Actually, he only knew that Ignis _wrote_ porn. However, he had no idea if Ignis enjoyed reading or watching porn as well. Or if he wished to hear about other people's sexual adventures. What if the advisor only liked to write porn but wasn't interested in sex in real life?

"Amicitia boy! Move those legs!" Cor suddenly called out, making him flinch. At once, Gladio picked up his pace again. 

He should stop his thoughts from running wild and focus on making his legs run instead. His best option was to talk to Ignis during his lunch break.

No sooner said than done: As soon as Cor let him out of his clutches, Gladio took a quick shower and changed into fresh clothes. 

Even though he was afraid that he had somehow seriously offended Ignis last week, Gladio walked to his office. He had, unknowingly, damaged their relationship enough in the past when he had missed _talking_ to the other man. It wasn't like him to make the same mistake twice. 

Calming his nerves by taking a deep breath, he knocked at Ignis's office door.

"Yes?" the advisor replied, and Gladio felt his hands shaking. Now or never.

Quickly, he opened the door and slipped inside. Ignis was sitting at his desk, typing on his laptop.   
"I'll be with you in a second," the advisor mumbled in concentration as his fingers continued to fly over the keyboard. 

"Ah, no pressure, take your time," Gladio replied, clearing his throat as he rubbed the back of his neck. Only now did he realize that in his hurry, he had forgotten to bring along his lunch box.

His gaze wandered across the room and stilled at the whiteboard. ' _Gladio was here_ ,' was still scribbled there - Iggy hadn't wiped it away. That had to be a good sign.

Standing there with nothing to do, felt awkward after a few more seconds, so Gladio took out his phone only to find a text message from his best friend.

Nyx:  
 _Check this out, eagle boy. There's a second chapter to that blowjob fic! [link]_

Immediately Gladio opened the new chapter. It was called ' _Turning the tables_ ' and had gotten uploaded three days ago. Wait a second. Three days ago? That had to be Friday. 

"My apologies," Ignis suddenly spoke up after he had finished typing, "I'm afraid I'm rather busy. Was there anything you needed?"

"Oh, uh," Gladio looked up from his phone and towards Ignis. Except for the slight hint of annoyance that was normal for any working adult on a Monday, he looked fine. "I thought we could spend our lunch break together?"

"Oh," Ignis's eyes widened in surprise before they darted from one pile of papers on his desk to the next.

"Don't mind, I can see that you've got a lot to do," Gladio replied, sounding more bitter than he had intended to.  
"My apologies," Ignis repeated with sincere regret on his beautiful face.  
"It's okay."

Rubbing the back of his neck while Ignis chewed on his bottom lip, Gladio pondered what to do next.

"If you-"  
"Are you-"

Once again, they had spoken up at the same time. A chuckle left both men when they remembered the same situation from last week.

"This time, you go first," Ignis insisted before Gladio could say anything.

"Are you alright? I had been worried since you'd left so suddenly. On Friday," the shield added as if it wasn't crystal clear what he was referring to.

"My apologies," the advisor said once again, and Gladio wondered how often he would hear these words today. "It hadn't been my intention to worry you with my sudden disappearance."

"If I've made you," Gladio paused, searching for the right words, "uncomfortable in any way-"  
"You didn't," Ignis interrupted him. "You have done nothing wrong, Gladiolus. It was all me. Sorry."  
"Okay," he replied even though he still didn't know what exactly had caused the other's abrupt departure that night.

It was silent as both men avoided looking at each other.

"What did you wanna say?" Gladio asked after a while.  
"Pardon me?"  
"When we spoke up at the same time," he reminded him.  
"Ah," Ignis's face lit up in understanding. It made Gladio's heart beat faster as he watched these thin eyebrows shoot up in realization. "If you like, you can spend your break here - even though I'm working."

"You won't mind?" Gladio asked, his eyes lighting up.  
"I don't mind," Ignis returned with a soft smile on his lips. "Although I fear it might be a bit boresome for you."

"Nah, don't worry," he answered, and Ignis already picked up the next paper from his pile. With newfound self-consciousness, Gladio didn't hold back any longer. "Nyx just texted me that this fanfic we've both read last week got a new chapter on Friday. So I'll just sit here, reading." 

Gladio sat down on the couch. It took a few seconds before realization hit the advisor.  
"You're gonna read that _now_? _Here_?" Ignis asked, his filigree eyebrows pulled up high, green eyes blinking in disbelief.   
"Is that a problem?" Unwavering, Gladio watched the other man with a serious expression.  
There was hesitation on Ignis's face. His lips quivered until he finally replied, a faint blush on his cheeks. "Do as you wish."

With a grin, Gladio took off his shoes to sit cross-legged on the couch. Putting a cushion on his lap -just to be safe- he turned on the display of his phone.

_It was one of these rare days I had to work overtime at the library. The customers and my coworkers had all left a while ago. Since I had a date with Aegis tonight, I was in a hurry to finish work as well._

_My lover had agreed to pick me up, and honestly, I was wondering that he hadn't sneaked in through the back door when my last coworker had left. It wouldn't be the first time._

_Careless in my hurry, my finger got caught between the heavy cardboard boxes filled with books. "Ouch!" A sharp pain made me flinch, but all of a sudden, the box got lifted._

_At once, my freed finger got caught again. This time, in a familiar, hot mouth. "Aegis!" I exclaimed in surprise as my lover grinned at me while he carefully sucked on my hurt digit._

_What might have been meant as an innocent gesture had turned into something else the moment our eyes met. There was a fire burning behind my lover's brown eyes._

_His tongue swirled around my finger as he tightened his grip on my wrist. I felt my knees growing weak at this simple but significant expression of his raw strength._

_Trying to steady myself, I leaned back against the shelf. Aegis immediately followed me, pressing his muscular thigh between my legs. My cheeks flared up as he grinned in response to the bulge that had unmistakenly formed in my pants._

_With a loud popping sound, he let go of my finger. His hand, however, still held my wrist. With a wolfish grin, he leaned closer, his hot lips latching onto my neck, sucking on the sensitive skin._

_"Aegis," I whispered._   
_"Hush," he ordered, and I followed. A soft whine tumbled from my lips as he skillfully opened my pants one-handedly._

_With a wink, he suddenly dropped to his knees. That display alone was almost enough to make me come. Aegis didn't go down on me often. But when he did, he never disappointed me._

_Before my thoughts could catch up with it, he had taken my already rock-hard erection out of my clothes. I felt embarrassed to be this aroused after such a short amount of time, but Aegis seemed to like it. There was a smirk on his face as he placed a quick, fleeting kiss on my tip._

_Playfully, he blew some air against my hot member. Only as I tried to reach out to him, I realized that he still held my right wrist in an iron grip. With a grin, he grabbed my left hand as well, holding it against my hip. I was trapped between the shelf and him by his raw strength._

_"Don't move," he ordered with a grin. Slowly, he licked the underside of my erect member, from bottom to top, making it twitch in response. Another whine tumbled from my lips. I was at his mercy._

_Knowing that he always liked my eyes on him and not intending to miss this sinfully sexy display, I kept returning his look._

_His smirk widened as we stared at each other._

_"Please," I whined after seconds had dragged on endlessly._

_Without further ado, he took my achingly hard erection into his mouth. At once, his hot tongue was swirling around the underside of my member. Hollowing his cheeks, he sucked with just the right amount of pressure._

_I couldn't stop all the loud moans tumbling from my lips. My hips tried to move on reflex, but Aegis held them still - with ease._

_My breathing sped up as his skillful mouth and tongue brought me closer to climax. Before Aegis had confessed his love to me, I had always been jealous of every other man Aegis had been with. But I couldn't deny that I enjoyed being on the receiving end of all the accumulated experience Aegis had gained from that._

_Desperately I tried to keep my eyes open, not wanting to miss that display. Aegis looked so happy down there, sucking on my manhood as if his life depended on it._

_"Aegis."_

_As I whispered his name, he sped up his movements, eager to give me everything I wanted. It didn't take much longer until I came with a loud moan. He sucked me through it, drinking up every drop I'd spent._

_This time, my knees gave out for real, but my strong lover easily caught me in his safe embrace._

_I couldn't wish for more as I relished the post-orgasm bliss._

"Have you left so suddenly on Friday because your imagination had been running wild?" Gladio uttered his thoughts without thinking, putting his phone down to look at Ignis. By now, he was glad he had placed that pillow over his lap. He wasn't sure how Ignis would react to seeing his boner.

When the man didn't reply, Gladio threw him a questioning look. "Have you?"

"I don't see the need to answer a rhetorical question." That was as good as a yes. 

_Fuck._

Gladio couldn't stop grinning even though he bit on his bottom lip.

"Would you stop making such a face?" Ignis asked of him all of a sudden.  
"What face?" Gladio's voice sounded innocent, but he smirked even more than before.  
"An," Ignis's eyes darted away. "An _aroused_ face."

Humming in appreciation, Gladio let his eyes travel further down.

"What would you do if I crawled under your desk right now?" He dared to ask, but the icy gaze Ignis threw at him made him drop his grin for a moment.  
"Kick you in the face," Ignis stated matter-of-factly.  
"Ouch, no thanks. I don't mind some light BDSM, but I'm not into pain," Gladio replied honestly, effectively melting Ignis's cold gaze from his face as the advisor's cheeks flared up with heat.

"I don't remember asking for your preferences," Ignis mumbled, eventually while he put papers from one side of his desk to the other and back. Apparently, he was too flustered to concentrate on work. 

"I wouldn't mind telling you anyway," Gladio offered to explore that topic further.

Chewing on his bottom lip, Ignis looked at him. His gaze was wavering as if he wasn't sure how to proceed next. Gladio saw the interest in these sharp green eyes, the desire. But he didn't miss the hesitation either, the fear.

"My apologies," Ignis replied after a while, averting his gaze.  
"For what?" Gladio asked softly.  
"That I still need-" Ignis broke off, chewing on his bottom lip, "more time." He took in a deep breath. "Time to finish my work," he added, although they both knew they weren't talking about _work_ right now.

Gladio exhaled a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding in. "It's okay. Sorry if I've been too pushy lately."

"No, it's alright," Ignis immediately returned. "It's unfamiliar but not unwelcome."  
"Yeah?" Hope flared up in him.  
"Yeah," Ignis confirmed, a small smile on his lips.

It wasn't everything he hoped for, but Gladio was happy nonetheless. They were slowly getting closer. Not only did they spend more time together, but they also managed to talk to each other without getting into a fight as they used to weeks ago. And while Gladio still feared that his flirting and pervy comments were too much for the advisor, he at least didn't have to hold back completely. Ignis just had to get used to it.

Since the other man was typing on his laptop again, Gladio picked up his phone once more.

"Oh, there already is a comment," he mentioned as he spotted it. 

SexiestManOnEos69:  
 _Damn! Now I'm in the mood to receive a blowjob like that._

"Sexiest man on Eos 69?" He read out loud, an incredulous laugh tumbling from his lips. Nyx, that narcist!

"Sometimes, I wonder if _anyone_ ever was in their right mind when choosing an _anonymous_ username," Ignis huffed.

"You make that sound like it is obvious _who_ the sexiest man on Eos is."

"I don't know," Ignis replied elusively. "But, I do know who will be late for his meeting with his father, the king, and the prince."

As he checked the time on his phone, Gladio's eyes widened in shock. "Shit!" 

Almost tripping over his own feet, Gladio ran towards the door. "Sorry! Later!" he called out as he already left the office.

Gladio had been lucky that Noctis had been late for the meeting as well. They met in the hallway, eventually entering Clarus's office together. To evade a lecture from their fathers, they said that they had only been late since they had already started discussing work on their way. 

Whether they believed them or not, their fathers were content with that excuse. Afterwards, they discussed security management for the press conference the next day.

Fortunately, the conference went by without incident. 

Tired from standing to attention all day, Gladio fell into bed as soon as he got home on Tuesday evening.

On Wednesday morning, Gladio got held up by Clarus as soon as he arrived at the Citadel. They hadn't seen each other at home this morning since his father had left gods-know-how-early.

For a moment, he wondered if something had happened, but Clarus merely wished to train with him. Although it was more like an order with no way to back out. 

Gladio didn't mind exercising with his dad per se. Years of experience had made him strong, and Gladio always gained some merit from their shared training. Yet it was _exhausting_ , and after yesterday he would have preferred some light individual training today instead, where he didn't have to focus and pay attention all the time. 

At noon, he ran into a group of glaives he knew rather well. They went to the cafeteria together, chatting happily, and somehow Gladio had agreed to a joint training session afterwards.

No one could blame him for leaving a bit earlier this afternoon. 

At home, he flopped down on the couch and called Nyx. They hadn't talked or texted since Monday. Gladio was, for one thing, eager to tell him about Monday's lunch break, and, for another thing, he wanted to know if their usual get-together for Thursday was still on.

After the third ring, the call got picked up. 

"Sorry, hero's busy," Crowe said on the other end of the line. "He'll call you back."   
There was a distinctive moan from Nyx hearable in the background before the line went dead again.

Well, so much about talking to his best friend. Gladio was happy that at least one of them was still having fun. However, he had to admit that he was a bit jealous. When was the last time he had had sex? 

With a frown, he noticed that the moment he had to count the weeks was the moment it had been too long ago. With a sigh, he remembered his passionate night with Faba. That had been four weeks ago to this day. 

_Four weeks._

That's like, a whole month. How had he managed to survive that long without getting it on? He groaned. Getting negative wouldn't help him.

For a moment, he pondered reading another of Ignis's fanfictions, but for once, he wasn't in the mood for words. He didn't want to read about other people. He wanted to see them, to feel them.

"Gladdy?"

Startled by his sister's voice, Gladio sent his phone flying yet managed to catch it again before it hit the floor. Iris laughed. 

"I've managed to sneak up on you for once!" she announced with a proud smile on her face.

"Yeah, you did. When did you get home anyway?" Gladio asked with a frown. "Just now! I helped Jared to pick up groceries for dinner!"  
"That's great. Wanna help him cook dinner as well?"   
"Nah, let's play something!" With her happy smile and sparkling eyes, she had Gladio wrapped around her little finger in no time.  
"Alright," he gave in eventually.

Before he could ask what she wanted to play, she had already run off to collect a deck of UNO cards. Ever since Jared had taught her how to play, she couldn't get enough of it. Even though she was such a sore loser. It was a challenge for Gladio to play against her since he never intended to make her angry or cry. Sometimes, however, he simply had more luck with the cards than her.

During their fourth round -Iris had lost only once, so she was still in high spirits- Gladio's phone ringed.   
"Hi Nyx," he said after picking up. His sister was pouting, afraid she had lost his attention. Putting his phone between his cheek and his shoulder, he played his next card. Iris's eyes lit up.

"Sorry, eagle boy. Some wildcat had stolen my phone. _Ouch!_ Don't scratch me." He heard Crowe chuckle in the background.  
"Don't worry, just wanted to ask if I can come over tomorrow?" He groaned as he saw that he had to draw four cards. Iris was close to winning this round again. Even though he didn't intend to upset her, _he_ didn't like to lose either.   
"Sure," Nyx confirmed before his tone got a bit more serious. "Everything alright?"  
"Huh? Oh, yeah. We'll talk tomorrow. I'm playing cards with Iris right now," he explained.  
"Ah, I see. Don't make the beautiful young lady cry," he cooed.   
"Yeah, yeah, you don't have to tell me."

"UNO!" Iris yelled excitedly, and Gladio huffed.  
"She'll make _me_ cry first," he mumbled into the phone, drawing a card that didn't help him either.   
"Good girl!" Nyx laughed.  
"I win!" Iris shouted happily. "One more time! Come on, Gladdy! Shuffle the cards!"  
"I've gotta hang up," he mumbled into the phone with a desperate sigh. "See you tomorrow."  
"Suffering defeat makes you stronger, eagle boy," Nyx teased him with unnecessary words of wisdom, but Gladio simply hung up.

They continued to play until the food was ready. Clarus had come home on time for once, and what happened after dinner had been inevitable. With her sparkling eyes, Iris had roped their father into playing with them while Jared hurriedly left the house.

At first, father and son had tried to let Iris win. Drawing cards even though they didn't have to. But after a while, their competitive nature broke through. Their desire to win was too strong.   
An Amicitia didn't back down from a challenge.   
An Amicitia didn't lose on purpose.

It didn't take long until there was screaming and yelling. Cards were flying from the table to the floor, Iris was trampling around on her chair in rage, Clarus let out an angry snort, while Gladio tried to kill the cards with his furious gaze.

Yet, in the end, they all laughed loudly and had fun.

Playing cards with his family had always been wild.

"You've been right," Gladio said to Nyx. They had met at the Citadel after work and were on their way to the glaive's flat now.   
"I know I'm _always_ right, but about what in particular have I been right this time?" That ever-charming smirk was on Nyx's face.  
"Iggy," the younger one elaborated, and his friend smiled in relief.  
"Yeah?"  
"Yeah. I went to his office on Monday, and he was," Gladio didn't even know how to describe the situation, "surprisingly normal."

"Did you talk about Friday?" Nyx wanted to know.  
"Kinda, yeah. I asked if I'd done something wrong, but apparently, he had just been embarrassed and," Gladio stopped - not only his words but his feet as well.

With a frown, Nyx came to a halt as well, turning around towards him. "And?"  
"And he wrote down his fantasies in this fanfiction chapter."  
"So, you've gotten him so riled up that he felt ready to burst out of his pants and-"

Gladio quickly walked up to his friend, covering his mouth. "Shh! Don't talk about that here." In a panic, Gladio watched their surroundings. Fortunately, none of the many passersby paid them any attention, though. They were just two men in the busy city. Nyx licked against Gladio's hand, and the younger pulled it away. "Stop drooling on me!"

Nyx laughed loudly and continued his way towards his flat. "You've riled him up!"  
"Hey, shut it," Gladio caught up to him with quick steps.  
"Since when are you acting like such a virgin?" The older one laughed again, having fun with this teasing. "Pretty boy wants to get fucked by you! Isn't that nice?"

A woman who passed by gave them a curious look.  
"It's not that easy!"  
"Oh, it _is_ easy. You just need a condom and some lube to-"  
"Nyx!"

The glaive laughed again before he put his arm around Gladio's shoulders. "Sorry, eagle boy. I'll play nice now. Why is it not easy?"

For a moment, Gladio side-eyed his friend warily, awaiting the next teasing side blow. When it didn't came, and Nyx watched him with an expecting expression, he sighed.  
"I kinda offered to give him a blowjob in the office, but he declined."

Nyx burst out laughing.

"Hey!" Gladio complained, but his friend couldn't stop laughing, tears at the corners of his eyes, as waves of laugher shook his body.

"Why-" Nyx tried to ask, but the words had to make way for even more chuckles.

After wiping a stray tear away from his eye, the glaive tried again. "Why should _he_ of all people agree to such a quick fuck? In the _office,_ most of all?!"

Opening his mouth to answer, Gladio closed it again when he realized that his friend was right. "Shit."

"Let me guess," the glaive grinned, "you had gotten caught up in the heat of the moment and hadn't even thought this through?"

"I guess," the younger one admitted.  
"That's good," Nyx replied with a smile, and Gladio was taken aback.  
"Why is that good?"  
"'Cause you're your flirtatious, charming self," Nyx stated, and Gladio couldn't deny the wisdom of these words. "If this is supposed to work out between you two, pretty boy has to get along with your true self."  
"Well, he denied that true self," he reminded his friend.  
Nyx snorted. "Give him some time to get used to it, eagle boy."

They continued their way in silence, both lost in their thoughts. Gladio couldn't deny that he and Ignis had made some progress lately. And while Gladio still was a nervous mess around him from time to time, talking to him and flirting with him _had_ gotten easier.

"How are your magic training sessions with Ignis going?" Gladio asked when they finally reached Nyx's home.  
"We are making some progress," the glaive replied elusively, as he unlocked the front door. Gladio felt like there was something his friend wasn't telling him, but he didn't think it was something negative. So he let it rest.

"Anyway, I've got new porn DVDs, and I wanna watch at least one of them. Now," Nyx explained, nodding towards a stack on the table.

Gladio picked up the topmost slipcase and laughed as he read the title. " _Tits a wonderful life_. Seriously?" 

"I've also got ' _Fill Bill Vol. 2 - Double penetrated_ ' and ' _Truth or Fuck_.' Your choice, eagle boy," Nyx mentioned as he shoved his second dark green armchair to the other side of the room, lining them up next to each other, facing the TV that he had hung to the wall again.

Not even caring to read the summary on the backside, he simply looked at the actors. Nobody cared about the _plot_ of a porno anyway. "The brunette looks nice," Gladio mentioned after a while, holding the first DVD out to Nyx.

Skeptically, the older one inspected the cover. "Ah. The one with the green eyes and black-framed glasses. Like pretty boy." Gladio opened his mouth to say something, but Nyx was faster. "Don't even try to deny it, eagle boy."  
"Alright, you've got me."  
"Always." Nyx wiggled his eyebrows and started the movie. "I'm looking forward to seeing the blonde in action. She looks hot."

Gladio flopped down into one of the armchairs while Nyx grabbed a sixpack of beer from the fridge and turned off the lights. "Don't worry. Those are just beer cans, no water bottles to trigger you."

" _You_ are mean today," Gladio remarked.  
"I'm offering you a beer, porn, and the presence of my humble self. That's called generous, not mean," Nyx returned with faked sincerity.  
"Sure. Or Crowe has teased you so much that you need to tease someone else now. For compensation."  
"I always knew you were smart, eagle boy."

Rolling his eyes, Gladio grabbed a beer and leaned back in the comfortable chair. 

To his surprise, _Tits in wonderland_ wasn't as cheap as the title had let on. While the plot was kind of plain -a guy stranded on an island where a bunch of horny women took care of him- the location was nice. Furthermore, the actors were playing their roles well. The brunette from the cover with the green eyes and the glasses was the only shy woman in this harem. 

When the blonde and black-haired women dropped to their knees to give the main character a blowjob, Gladio couldn't help but remember Ignis's fanfiction. 

Taking a sip from his beer, he tried to keep it in his pants.

It didn't take long until the brunette -shy or not- joined the others in their fun. These three women seemed to be the only important ones in that movie. The main character took them one after another: The blonde while leaning against a palm tree, the black-haired woman while swimming in the sea, the shy brunette kneeling in the sand.

Suddenly, Gladio heard the well-known sound of a cap opening before there was a familiar squelching noise.

"Dude, are you seriously jerking off?"

"Is that against our new rules?" Nyx asked, his eyes never leaving the screen. The bottle of lube suddenly got tossed to Gladio's armchair, landing in his lap. "We're not _sexually touching each other_ ," his friend quoted Gladio's words from three weeks ago. "And I'm not looking at your dick either. Although, I know what it looks like anyway." 

Gladio had no idea if that still was within their allowed rules or not, but he didn't care anymore. He hadn't gotten laid at all for a whole month, and his painfully hard erection wanted to get some attention. Opening the fly of his pants, he bit back a moan as he finally freed his cock.

After putting some lube on his right hand, he threw the bottle to the table. Only then did he notice that Nyx had placed a box of tissues there at some point. Gladio sighed as his right hand finally wrapped around his erection while his left hand lifted his shirt to touch his nipples.

In the movie, the brunette was still on all fours while the protagonist took her doggy-style. He changed his pace between taking her slow and soft or fast and rough. Gladio tried to adjust the movements of his hand to it. At some point, the protagonist grabbed a fist full of brunette hair and yanked it back.

The groan that left her didn't even compare to the high-pitched moan that tumbled from Gladio's lips.

" _Fuck_ ," Nyx exclaimed next to him, speeding up the movements of his hand. "You're into that? Pulling hair or getting it pulled?"  
Gladio only groaned, his cheeks heating up as his brain had to catch up with the fact that he had just come from watching that.

"If you're shy about it, it's getting it pulled," Nyx deducted correctly. "I hadn't known that."  
"Me neither," the younger one admitted, reaching for a tissue.

"Oh, a new discovery. Good thing you're growing out your hair again, isn't it?"  
"Stop teasing me, man!"  
"Never. It's too much fun, eagle boy."  
"I don't even know if I'm really into that," Gladio mumbled, not really paying attention to the movie anymore.

"Well, there's only one way to find out," Nyx remarked with a smirk. "Try it with pretty boy."  
"Sure," Gladio huffed. "I'll just say, _'Pull my hair, Iggy, I might be into that.'_ "  
"Mmh. It would be hot to have you at his mercy like that," Nyx confessed, his breathing getting rougher. Even though the room was only enlightened by the light coming from the TV screen, Gladio had a good view of his friend's face. The glaive had his eyes closed, biting his bottom lip with a grin.

" _By Shiva's tits_ , you are getting off on that imagination, aren't you?"  
A chuckle was all the answer he got as his friend kept his eyes closed, his hand working up and down his shaft.

Averting his eyes, Gladio tried to focus on the movie again. The blonde and the black-haired woman were having some fun together now.

"Pretty boy would be good at hair-pulling once he worked up enough self-confidence in the bedroom. He already has this dominant aura around him," Nyx suddenly mumbled, and Gladio groaned as he felt his spent cock twitch in newfound interest. "Just think about him grabbing your hair while you blow him." 

Nyx hummed in pleasure before he continued to talk. "Raking his thin fingers through your hair." He only paused to take in some ragged breaths from time to time. "His fingernails scratching over your scalp." Gladio knew him well enough to notice that he was getting close. "Directing your movements by pulling your hair." He often started babbling non-stop then. "Yanking you off to come on your face."

The bitten-back moan was followed by silence, and Gladio knew that Nyx had finally found his release. 

"Congratulations, now _I'm_ getting hard again," Gladio complained half-heartedly.  
"I'm sorry that the Astrals blessed me with the sexiest voice on all Eos," Nyx replied smugly. "Next DVD?"  
"Next DVD," Gladio confirmed.

The second movie hadn't been as good as the first one, but Nyx's fantasies and dirty talk had been more than enough to make them come again anyway. Since it had gotten so late, Gladio had crashed at Nyx's place. It always was a tight fit with two grown men in one small bed, but they managed.

On Friday morning, they went to the Citadel together. Since a council meeting had gotten rescheduled to the afternoon, Nyx and Ignis had their usual magic training session before noon today. 

For a moment, Gladio had the crazy idea to join them, even if he could only watch since he wasn't made for magic. However, that idea got crushed as soon as they had reached the Citadel. Cor demanded another training session with Gladio since -in his opinion- the young shield had been slacking off on Monday morning. Knowing that there was no way to change the marshall's mind, Gladio gave in to his destiny. 

Somehow, Gladio had managed to survive that hellish training session. Although he had kept lying on the ground for another few minutes to rest his aching muscles and get his breathing back under control. 

Using his last strength, he had dragged himself to the showers. The hot water felt like a holy blessing washing away at least a bit of his exhaustion.

Craving something nice after this strenuous morning, Gladio walked to Ignis's office. Maybe he could convince the advisor to join him for lunch at the cafeteria.

To his surprise, he wasn't Iggy's only visitor.  
"Big guy!" Prompto cooed cheerfully, sitting on the couch located at the wall. 

Ignis was absorbed in his work, eyes flicking back and forth between papers strewn across his desk, furiously typing on his laptop. Therefore, Gladio didn't want to disturb him. Instead, he sat down on the other sofa, opposite Prompto.   
"Oh, hey, pipsqueak! What are you doing here?" 

"I'm waiting for Noct," the blond explained. "He's got something to discuss with his dad."  
"And you?"  
"Huh?" Gladio was taken aback by that question. He wouldn't outright tell Prompto that he had missed Ignis and wished to see him. "Just passing some time before my next appointment."

It was nothing more than a vague evasive answer, but Prompto was fine with it. Ignis, however, stopped typing. When Gladio turned around to watch him, the advisor immediately looked at his laptop again.

"So, we've both got time to chat." Prompto leaned forward, elbows on his knees, head resting on his hands. The expecting gaze made it clear what he wanted to talk about.

Gladio stretched out his legs, putting his feet on the table. If Ignis was bothered by that, he didn't say it. " _You_ are always only interested in one thing, aren't you?"

"Can't blame me if your stories are always so exciting! Or don't you have anything new to tell?" Prompto added as an afterthought, disappointment in his voice.  
"Who do you think you're talking to? I've always got something to tell." Gladio wiggled his eyebrows, and that usual sparkle came back to these violet-blue eyes staring at him.

"Yo," Noctis greeted as he entered the office.  
"Sit down, Noct! Gladio has a new story to tell," Prompto requested without even looking at the prince.  
"I don't have to-"  
"No, no, I wanna hear that!" Prompto insisted, and Gladio shrugged his shoulders when Noctis stared at him.

With a sigh, the prince sat down next to Gladio. Taking out his phone, he feigned not to be interested. 

"Ever heard about _Tits in Wonderland_?" Gladio began his narration.  
"What? No!" Prompto replied honestly, a confused frown on his face.  
"It's a porn movie," the shield explained while his prince huffed.  
"Sounds cheap."

Gladio grinned. Of course, Noct was listening even if he pretended not to care about this stuff.  
"That's what I thought as well, but it was rather well done. You should watch it."  
"Maybe I will," Prompto admitted quietly, pulling his legs up to hug his own knees.  
"The main character was stranded on an island where he meets three women. The brunette with the green eyes and the black glasses was my favorite." Gladio noticed Ignis flinch. "Nyx liked the blonde."

Prompto's eyes widened in surprise. "Wait, you've watched that together with Nyx?"  
"Yeah," Gladio confirmed.  
"Isn't that weird?" Prompto wanted to know.  
"Why should it be?"  
"Well, like," Prompto looked away in embarrassment, nervously squirming in his seat. "Won't you get a boner from watching porn?"  
"Sure, we did. Isn't that the main point of watching porn?"

Suddenly, Noct looked up from his phone, his gaze sharp. "Did you two-"  
"Nothing happened," Gladio interrupted him at once when he realized where this was going. "We kept our eyes on the TV and our hands to ourselves."  
"But you _did_ -"  
"We jerked off, yeah," Gladio admitted, causing Noct to grimace.

"Oh, my gods!" Prompto exclaimed in excitement. "So there really are best friends who watch porn together and jerk off?!"

Gladio grinned. It was so obvious that Prompto wanted to do that with Noct as well.  
"Yeah. You should try it as well," Gladio suggested with a smirk, nodding towards the prince.

An embarrassed yelp left the blond as he threw a cushion at Gladio's face. He laughed.   
"The last scene of the movie had a pillow fight as well."

"Seriously?" Noct asked, pulling up an eyebrow. "Please tell me you didn't come from watching someone having a pillow fight."

"No, I-" Gladio broke off as he remembered the moment he had come out of nowhere. Noctis frowned while Prompto simply got even more curious.  
"Oh, oh, when did you come? Tell me!"

Hesitation was unusual for Gladio. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that even Ignis looked up from his work with a scrutinizing look on his face. Rubbing the back of his neck, Gladio pondered how much he should tell. It's not like he was embarrassed about this newly discovered kink. He just wasn't completely sure yet if it was a kink or not. Maybe it had just been in the heat of the moment. Or he just liked to see others getting their hair pulled. Honestly, he would love to try pulling someone else's hair as well.

"Big guy?" Prompto asked tentatively, expression worried.  
"Ah, it was a bit unexpected," he admitted, his gaze fixed on the small flower pot on the coffee table, "but I came when one of the women got her hair pulled. Somehow it was passionate and delightful. I might be into that."

Taking a deep breath, he dared to look at Ignis, wanting to see his reaction to this confession. However, the advisor simply looked down at his desk, writing something on one of his papers.

"Doesn't it hurt to get your hair pulled?" Prompto inquired, yet there was only curiosity and no judgment in the tone of his voice.  
"No, yes, it's-" Gladio broke off his sentence, taking his feet down from the table.

"It's what?" Prompto frowned, not used to this uncertainty.  
"It's not supposed to be painful. It's a bit about powerplay. And the rush of the sudden action, bordering on something that could be painful if you struggle too much or if your partner does it the wrong way. I guess," he added hesitantly, rubbing the back of his neck again.

"You _guess_?" Prompto repeated questioningly.  
"Well, I've never _tried_ it. But I always knew there was something about my hair. When Iris did my hair, something told me to get away from her at once. To not let her touch that intimate part of me. Even though the hair isn't something _intimate_." Gladio frowned. "It's so weird. I shouldn't turn this into something sexual."

"Aren't kinks always weird?" Noctis added simply.  
"Maybe." Gladio shrugged.  
"Well, then you need someone to pull your hair to find out!" Prompto announced happily.  
"Yeah," Gladio snorted, "and you need someone to get into your pants."  
"Hey, I'm not that needy!"  
"Me neither," he retorted, even though he was. "I'm just curious about this now." Taking up his hand, Gladio ran his fingers through his hair. It felt normal. Not weird or sexual or kinky.

With a sigh, he dropped his hand again, closing his eyes. 

"Ouch!" he yelped as a sudden pain shot through him. "You little brat!"   
Noctis had pulled on a single strand of his hair.  
"Just trying to help you figure that out," the prince replied with an amused smile. 

"Oh, oh, me too, me too!" Prompto cooed cheerfully, standing up from the other sofa. 

Before Gladio could protest, both men had their hands in his hair, tugging on it in different directions. " _Astrals_! Stop this nonsense. There's no need to pull _out_ my hair!" 

Using the strength of his arms, he shoved them both away, hands on their faces. Noct leaned further back, out of his reach with a pout on his face while Prompto only yelped in surprise.  
"We just wanted to help," the prince huffed with a pout.  
"I didn't _ask_ for your-"  
"Does it have to be _pulling_?" Ignis spoke up for the first time today, suddenly standing right behind him. Before Gladio's brain could register these words, there were already two hands on the sides of his head. Swift fingers started to massage his scalp, and Gladio felt himself relax against the backrest.  
" _Oh_ ," he uttered appreciatively. 

"That's just a normal head massage," Noct stated.  
"Doesn't make it any less good," Gladio mumbled, his eyes closed. 

Ignis's fingers worked their way down from his head to the back of his neck and his shoulders. " _Six_ , you're tense."  
"Training sessions with dad and with Cor have been hell this week," Gladio mumbled as he relished the advisor's skillful touch.

Noct stood up from the couch. "Now that we know that Gladio simply is into head massages and not into any weird kink, let's go, Prom."  
"Huh?" The blond piped up in confusion.  
"Lunch? At the cafeteria?" Noct added.  
"Oh, yes, yes," Prompto cheered, getting up as well. "You coming with us?"

"Nah, I'll see you guys tonight," Gladio replied even though he was hungry and eager to get something to eat. However, if he could manage to stand a few more seconds under Ignis's skillful touch, he'd gladly skip lunch for it.

"Ah, not tonight." Noctis suddenly remembered what he hadn't told them yet. "Prom and I wanna finish our replay of _Ludus 1_ tonight. The sequel comes out tomorrow. Instead, let's just meet at that coffee shop again tomorrow."  
"Oh! The one with the carrot cake?" Prompto wiggled his eyebrows, playfully hitting Noct with his elbow.  
"Yes, yes, that one. 11 a.m.?" 

The movement of Ignis's fingers stopped. "You want me to believe that _you_ will be up and at a coffee shop at 11 a.m. on a Saturday?"   
Since Ignis was standing behind him, hands still resting on his shoulders where they had massaged before, Gladio couldn't see his face. But he knew the other was pulling up an eyebrow in sheer disbelief. He had heard it in the tone of his voice.

"We'll be in town to buy the game at 10 a.m. as soon as the shop opens," the prince explained, but Ignis still didn't give in.  
"I'll drag him out of bed," Prompto added, hitting his chest proudly. "I can do that!"  
"Alright, then. 11 a.m. at the coffee shop," Ignis agreed eventually, and Gladio only now realized that in another universe that could count as a double date. Maybe he owed Noctis something for this plan.

"See you tomorrow," Prompto said happily, as he and Noct left the office.

Suddenly, it was quiet. 

It took a moment, but then Ignis's hands started moving over his shoulders again. His touch was hesitant at first, but Gladio let out an enjoyable sigh, relaxing his body to convey his consent.

By now, Gladio was sure that he was dreaming. There was no way that Ignis Scientia was standing behind him, massaging his shoulders out of his own free will. 

Yet, these strong fingers kept working over the knots that had formed beneath his skin after a tiresome week. On the one hand, he was surprised that Ignis somehow managed to use just the right amount of pressure. Yet, on the other hand, there probably wasn't anything the advisor couldn't do perfectly.

Gladio gulped when these skillful fingers little by little left his shoulders to work on the back of his neck instead. Certainly, he was tense there as well, but somehow it felt intimate when Ignis touched his hairline. A small sigh left his lips. It hadn't been loud, and the other man didn't show any reaction to it. He still couldn't believe his luck to be sitting here, feeling Ignis's hands on him.

"Sorry," he eventually mumbled.  
"For what?" Ignis asked, his voice not more than a whisper as if he was afraid to break that peaceful moment.  
"What happened with Nyx yesterday." Gladio had to get this off of his chest. Just now, when he had told Prompto, he hadn't seen Ignis's reaction about that joint jerk-off session.

"I thought you said _nothing happened,_ " the advisor quoted Gladio's words from before.  
"Well, it didn't. At least not more than I've mentioned. It's no big deal for Nyx or me. But," he took a deep breath, remembering the reply Ignis had left to one of his comments. "I know that something that's a small trivial matter to me can be something more to someone else."

Ignis's fingers stopped moving, his hands coming to a rest on Gladio's shoulders.

"It's fine," he whispered after a while.  
"You're fine with that?" Gladio asked in surprise, not daring to move.  
"Not _fine_ , but," Ignis hesitated, clicking his tongue. "Okay?" He tried to word his feelings, his fingers slowly picking up their movements again, thumbs kneading the skin just beneath the back of his neck. 

"Are you _jealous_?" Gladio asked carefully and yelped out a surprised _moan_ as Ignis grabbed a fistful of his hair, yanking back his head. 

Ignis looked down at him, beautiful green eyes sharp as he pulled just a bit more on Gladio's hair, making him gulp. Since Ignis hadn't pulled on a single strand of hair -as Noct had done earlier- it hadn't hurt. Instead, it was a weird mix of helplessness and a desire for _more_. Gladio's heart was beating so fast and loud that he was afraid the other might hear it. His lips were slightly parted as he looked up to the man of his dreams.

"Yes." 

Neither of them had expected that honest answer to Gladio's question. The air was heavy as they stared at each other for a few more seconds before Ignis's self-confidence crumbled. At once, he blushed, letting go of Gladio's hair.

"I've got work to finish. You should leave." The advisor had already walked back to his desk.

"Right," Gladio replied on reflex, waiting for his sped-up heart rate to calm down again.

"We'll see each other tomorrow," Ignis added. It might only be a commonplace phrase, but it told Gladio that, somehow, everything was still okay.

"Yeah," he mumbled as he slowly got up from the couch. "See you then." 

As soon as he had left the office, he leaned back against the wall next to the door. Fortunately, there was no one in the hallway right now. Only now did he notice the bulge in his pants. 

A desperate chuckle tumbled from his lips as he took out his phone.

Gladio:  
 _It's a kink._

Nyx:  
 _You sure now?_

Gladio:  
 _I think I almost came from Iggy pulling my hair_ once _._

Nyx:  
 _( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)_  
 _Anything else I missed?_

Gladio:  
 _We stared at each other._  
 _There was tension._

Nyx:  
 _Aaaaaand?_

Gladio:  
 _He got flustered and ushered me out of his office._

Nyx:  
 _XD_

On Saturday, Gladio had spent way too much time choosing an outfit. In the end, he had decided on some knee-length slacks, together with a tight white shirt with a black-lettered imprint saying, _'You'll always come first.'_   
He liked the ambiguity of it - it could be meant in a hopelessly romantic sense or plain suggestively.

Despite his troubles to decide on an outfit, he still made sure to be on time. He hadn't forgotten the last time they had visited the coffee shop when Ignis already was in a bad mood in the beginning since he had to wait for everyone. When he arrived in front of the shop ten minutes early, he ran into the man he had just been thinking about. 

"Yo, morning," he greeted as soon as he noticed the other. As always, Ignis wore dark dress pants, today paired with a light blue dress shirt.

What was _unusual_ , though, were the three opened buttons at the top.

"Good morning," Ignis replied, a bit quietly as he immediately turned away from Gladio to open the door and enter the shop.

Perplexed, Gladio followed him. They sat down at the same table as last time, and before they could start a conversation, a well-known voice piped up next to them.

"Well, hello there! Haven't seen you two in a while," Faba greeted them cheerfully, winking at Gladio.

_Fuck._

How could he have forgotten that Faba worked here? His mind couldn't hold back from showing him flashbacks of their passionate night together: her moans, her mouth sucking an endless number of hickeys unto his skin, and the soft skin of her breasts.

"Nice shirt," she mentioned with a smirk, and Gladio immediately regretted his choice of clothes for the day. "And true as far as I can judge," she wiggled her eyebrows at him. Clearing his throat, Gladio was lost for words. He wanted to flirt back, but he felt it would be a bad idea with Ignis sitting right in front of him.

"I'd like an espresso, please. Double," Ignis ordered, voice sharp but polite.

"Alright," the red-haired waitress replied, diligently writing the order down on her notepad. 

As Faba took down her pen again, she deliberately let the clip of it get caught in her uniform, pushing the cloth down a bit to reveal more of her cleavage. "And what would _you_ like?" 

Ignis didn't even try to hide it as he rolled his eyes. Gladio gulped.

He had to end this: smoothly and quickly.

"I bet I know, what _you'd_ like," he returned with a smirk, leaning closer to her.  
"Uh-huh," she hummed before an excited chuckle left her red lips.

"But, I'm sorry," he suddenly mentioned, leaning back again. "You can look all you want at this manifestation of irresistibility." He emphasized his smug words by pointing at his face and upper body. "But you're _not_ getting it."

"Hmpf." She pouted.  
"Nothing personal," he added with a smile. "Can I get a Matcha Latte, please?"  
"Since you're usually an unproblematic customer, yes," she answered and left their table.

Before Gladio could say anything to Ignis, his phone rang. When he checked the display, he was wondering why Noctis called him and not Ignis as usual.   
"What's up, princess?"  
"We're still standing in the line in front of the game shop," Noctis explained on the other side of the line.  
"When will you be here?"  
"Not sure. In an hour?"  
"An hour?!" Gladio repeated, and he heard Ignis sigh.  
"Sorry, man. Just make the best out of it," Noctis suggested before hanging up all of a sudden.

"Let me guess: He has set us up _again_ ," Ignis remarked disapprovingly, clicking his tongue.  
"What?" Gladio looked perplexed, and the other man pulled up a filigree eyebrow.  
"You hadn't noticed last time? When he, _accidentally_ , texted both of us the wrong time."

"Huh," Gladio blinked in realization. "Guess he must have learned a thing or two from being around the most brilliant tactician all the time."  
"I'm not-" the advisor tried to decline, humble as always.  
"Just take it as a compliment," Gladio said with a wink.  
"Oh, well then," Ignis cleared his throat, "thank you."

Gladio smiled while Ignis looked out of the window to hide his embarrassment.

"So, are _you_ available?" Faba asked as she set down the espresso for Ignis.  
"I beg your pardon?" He turned his head to look at her.  
"Well, _that_ sexy guy," she pointed at Gladio, "made it clear that he isn't available anymore. So, now I'm asking _this_ sexy guy." She smirked at Ignis, wiggling her eyebrows.

"My apologies, but I'm only interested in men." 

Ignis said it so easily as if he would say it every day. Yet it was the first time Gladio had heard these words out of his mouth. They made his heart beat faster. He was sure that some weeks ago, Ignis would have provided a more vague answer. Something along the line of him merely not being interested.

Faba's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Oh, my gods!" Her eyes darted between Gladio and Ignis. "I've been crashing your _date_! I'm so sorry, I'll bring you some cookies! It's on the house!"

"We're not-" Gladio tried to protest, but she had already run off towards the counter.   
"My apologies," Ignis said without meeting his eyes. "I might have caused a misconception. That hadn't been my intention."

Gladio snorted. "Don't worry, I don't mind. I wouldn't even mind if it were true and if this was a date."   
Chewing on his bottom lip, Ignis didn't respond but looked out of the window again. 

His profile looked beautiful in the light of the early summer sun shining in through the window. His dirty blond hair shined brighter than usual as it covered his forehead. The black-framed glasses outlined his beautiful green eyes. The bridge of his nose was one perfect line without any unevenness. His thin lips were rosy, the bottom one still partly sucked into his mouth as he absentmindedly chewed on it. 

Gladio's gaze traveled down Ignis's beautiful neck to the beginning of the light blue color of his dress shirt. Thanks to the open button, he had -for once- an undisturbed view on the pristine skin leading from his neck to his upper chest. Ignis was wearing the silver necklace with the skull pendant Noctis had gifted him once. It gave him the perfect contrast to his otherwise prim and proper attitude, which made him look even sexier. Yet Gladio had to admit that Ignis's beautiful pale skin drew his attention more than the necklace.

He couldn't help but stare at it.

"It doesn't suit me, does it?" Ignis spoke up all of a sudden.  
"What?"  
"The opened shirt," Ignis answered, his hands already on their way to close the buttons.  
"No!" Gladio blurted out loudly, and the other stopped his movements in surprise. "I mean, yes, it does suit you. Don't close them!"

"But," the advisor's eyes flicked to Gladio and then away again, "you kept staring at me."  
"Sorry. It was too seductive to look away," he admitted honestly.  
"Seductive?!" Ignis blushed, holding up his hand to hide his exposed skin.

"That was a compliment! Sorry, I'll try to stop gawking if it bothers you," he suggested, even though he knew wouldn't be able to avoid looking. "I'm just not used to this look."  
"It had been suggested to me," Ignis admitted quietly, his hand still held up to block Gladio's view.  
"By whom?"  
"Someone," he answered elusively. Gladio chuckled. It was cute how embarrassed and secretive Ignis was about this, even though Gladio knew by now that he and Noct talked about this stuff. 

Eventually, Ignis took his hand down again to pick up his espresso instead.

"Chocolate chip cookies for my favorite boys," Faba announced cheerfully as she put a plate with cookies on their table.   
"Anything else you two sweethearts need? I'll leave the menu here," she placed it on the table as well. "Oh, and we've got some cards, games, and whatever back there," she pointed to a table on the corner of the coffee shop. "It's all free to use for our dear customers. So, have a nice date! Call me if you need anything, no matter what!"

As always, she was like a whirlwind - here in one second, gone in the next, stirring up everything around her.

"She is a nice girl after all," Ignis mentioned, although he looked as if he couldn't believe he had just admitted that.   
"And full of energy," Gladio added with a smile. "You up for a game?" He asked, pointing towards that table Faba had mentioned.  
"Certainly. We are waiting for the others anyway," Ignis replied. "Feel free to pick something."

With interest, Gladio checked out the games at the table. The first thing he saw was a deck of UNO cards, but that wouldn't be the best choice for a not-really-but-almost-date. Furthermore, the real fun only began with at least three players. Inspecting the other games, the choice wasn't difficult to make.

"Oh," Ignis remarked in surprise as Gladio got back to the table with his discovery. " _You_ play chess?"   
"Yup," he replied with a grin. It had been a while since he had last played. Usually, he didn't find anyone who wanted to indulge in this game with him, but Ignis seemed like the type of guy who'd appreciate a tactical game.

Putting the board on the table, he gave Ignis the white pieces while he took the black ones. 

Somehow, he got the feeling that the other was still surprised by his choice of game.

"My mum taught me how to play," he explained nonchalantly, but he noticed Ignis pausing in his movements. Confused, Gladio stopped setting up his pieces as well.

"You've never talked about her," Ignis whispered, "I never knew if it was okay to bring up the topic."  
"Oh, ah, it's okay." With a fond smile, Gladio continued to place his chess pieces on the board. "Sometimes, it still hurts to remember that she'll never return, but it's been years since she's left Eos."

As he noticed how Ignis bit his bottom lip again, Gladio smiled at him reassuringly. "Anyway, during her last months, she had to spend a lot of time in bed," he explained. "When she was alone, she was reading most of the time. But when others were with her, she enjoyed a good game of chess. In the beginning, I was no match for her, but eventually, I managed to beat her."

"She must have taught you well," Ignis said softly, placing his pieces on the board.  
"Yup. I am quite skilled if I might say so," he replied with a challenging smirk.

"Oh?" Ignis mockingly pulled up an eyebrow. "We'll see about that."  
It was only then that Gladio remembered he was talking to a master tactician. 

They started the game casually, moving their pawns forward. 

However, it didn't take long until a smile flickered across Ignis's face, a challenging fire burning in his eyes. Every time he leaned forward to grab a piece on the chessboard, his necklace was swinging, reminding Gladio of this partly unbuttoned shirt.

" _You_ play chess?" Faba asked, and Gladio looked up in surprise. He hadn't even noticed her arrival. "Sorry for disturbing you. I just noticed that your drinks are empty."

"Ah, I hadn't even realized," Gladio admitted. "I'll take a Pumpkin Spice Latte. And why are you so surprised that I'm playing chess?"  
She simply shrugged her shoulders and looked at Ignis, awaiting his order.  
"The same for me, please. Even though that's more of an autumn drink," he added as an afterthought.  
"People love it, so we're selling it all around the year," she explained with a wink before she left again.

They continued to play and thanked Faba when she brought them their drinks. Although Gladio hadn't even looked at her, his gaze drawn to Ignis's opened shirt once more.

"I'm getting closer to you," Gladio said, moving his pawn forward as his eyes already traveled back to Ignis's neck.  
"You're not," the other returned simply, as his bishop captured the pawn.   
_Shit_ , Gladio had missed that since he had been too distracted. 

The grin on Ignis's face could almost be described as smug. It was unusual for him, but, _fuck,_ did Gladio like it. After he had made his next move, the advisor's face turned from smug to pensive. Deep in concentration, he grabbed his chin, green eyes traveling across the chessboard. The confident smile returned as he leaned forward to make his move. Again, the pendant of his necklace swung against his pale skin.

"Gladiolus?"  
"Huh?"  
"Are you even paying attention to the game?" Ignis asked with a small chuckle.  
"Sure, you-" Gladio looked at the board. "Actually, which piece did you just move?"

A long, slim finger tapped the top of the knight, indicating his move. "At least _try_ to make this challenging," Ignis teased him.  
"I am, I am," Gladio responded, moving his rock.

At once, his gaze traveled back to Ignis's face. To his disappointment, there was only a frown this time. "Is there a hidden tactic to sacrificing your rock?" Ignis inquired as he removed Gladio's piece from the board.

"Oh." Maybe Gladio _didn't_ pay enough attention to the game because he was too distracted by Ignis.

Unfortunately, things only went south from then on rather quickly, and Gladio lost the match.

"That was easy. I'm afraid I'm a tad disappointed," the tactician stated, a little pout on his lips. Gladio almost couldn't believe it. Had he ever seen Ignis _pout_? His defeat had been worth it if only for witnessing that cute expression.   
"Revanche?" There was a sparkle in the advisor's eyes, that smug grin back on his face. 

"Certainly."

They started their second match, and this time Gladio managed to focus on the game at least during his turn. Taking a bit more time to think about his move didn't bother Ignis. So, during his own turn, Gladio did his best to remember all the different tactics his mother had taught him. During Ignis's turn, he unabashedly stared at Ignis, relishing the sight of this beautiful man. Whenever the advisor noticed, his cheeks lit up a bit, but soon he was too focused on the game again. 

"Hi," Noctis greeted as he sat down next to his shield.  
"Where's Prompto?" Ignis wanted to know, looking up.  
"Taking a photo of the flowerbed outside or something," the prince mumbled. His gaze landed on the chessboard on the table. " _You_ play chess?" The question had been directed at Gladio.

"I swear to the Six if I have to hear that question one more time today-"  
"Oh, you're playing chess?" Prompto asked as he arrived at their table, camera in hand.  
"Prompto!" Gladio yelled, slamming his hand on the table, and the blond flinched.  
"Whatever it is, I'm sorry, and I didn't do it!" Prompto exclaimed as he bowed.

Ignis chuckled. "How can you be sorry if you didn't do it?"  
Surprised, Prompto opened his mouth yet closed it again. He repeated the same pattern before he eventually whispered. "Are _you_ teasing me, Iggy?"

The advisor's eyes opened in realization. "My apologies, that-"  
"Aw, you're finally opening up to us!" Prompto said cheerfully as he sat down next to the advisor, putting his arm around his shoulders, squeezing him in a half-hug.   
"That's, I'm-" Ignis stuttered, flustered. His glasses slipped down a bit as Prompto happily swayed left and right with him.

There was a fond smile on Noct's face, and Gladio laughed, his anger forgotten. Deep inside, he wished that he could also casually hug Ignis like this, but he had a feeling that his time would come. Soon. 

Each week they were gravitating closer to each other, spending more time together. They were more honest, actually talking about their feelings through _spoken_ not just _written_ words. Even though Gladio would never grow tired of reading Ignis's fanfiction. 

Still, it was nice to talk to the other man, spend time with him, flirt with him. 

They were getting somewhere. Gladio just had to make sure he didn't mess up again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you've enjoyed reading! Feel free to drop a comment, reading your thoughts and impressions keeps me going ♥
> 
> I'm using Twitter on a daily basis, so if you're ever interested in any updates, you know where to look!  
> [Check out my Profile to find me on Tumblr or Twitter!](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SophiaHoppia/profile)
> 
> [Or simply check out my other fanfictions!](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SophiaHoppia/works)


	12. Three can be better than one

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In my notes, the working title for this chapter used to be "the everyone is horny week"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry there wasn't an update last Sunday, but somehow this chapter got a biiit longer than expected, so I needed more time.
> 
> I can already tell you that there won't be an update next week either. I didn't have time to start writing chapter 13 yet, and I don't wanna rush it. I care about this story too much ♥

"I'll come over tonight, hero," Crowe said further down the hallway as Gladio crossed the corner on Monday morning.   
"He's already busy," Domicella stated, hands on her hips. The frown on her face made it clear that she was not amused.  
Crowe eyed the maid from top to bottom with an appraising look.

Nyx, standing between the two arguing women, silently watched the exchange, his expression neutral. 

Feeling like he had to cross a minefield, Gladio slowed in his tracks. The three of them were blocking the hallway. There was no way he could get around them without getting involved. 

"With what?" Crowe asked as she crossed her arms, lifting her chin a bit to appear superior. She always did that when she tried to gain the upper hand in any discussion. 

"With me!" To Gladio's surprise, Domicella didn't back down. On the contrary, she even got a step closer, raising her chin as well. The two women stared at each other, a fiery challenge burning between them. They were about the same height, but they both tried to appear taller, as they kept raising their heads and even got up on their tip-toes. Their eyes never left each other.

"Ladies, please," Nyx eventually cut in, sounding way too amused for Gladio's liking. "I can take care of both of you tonight."

"No one needs to take care of me," Crowe replied sharply, yet her eyes kept staring at the woman in front of her.  
"Don't think I'll be satisfied with just a quickie," Domicella answered but kept looking at the female glaive.

"Not a quickie. You could watch how Crowe satisfies me," Nyx offered, and, suddenly, the mood shifted. Both women took a side glance at the man, then looked back at each other, smirking.  
"Yes," they confirmed in unison before they walked off in different directions. Domicella giggled as she passed by Gladio. 

On the one hand, Gladio couldn't believe what he had just witnessed. On the other hand, that was just typical for his best friend.

"You lucky bastard," he mentioned as he nudged Nyx with his elbow.  
"Jealous?"  
" _Fuck_ , yes," Gladio confirmed honestly.   
"You need to get laid again," Nyx huffed in amusement.   
"Thanks for the reminder. I would have forgotten it if you and my libido hadn't reminded me at least four times a day," Gladio replied, playfully bowing. His best friend had the audacity to laugh.  
"That bad?"

"The more time I spent with him, the more difficult it is to keep my hands to myself."  
"Maybe you should just jump him."  
"Nyx!" Gladio hissed just as a councilman walked by them, making a disgusted face. It's not that he cared about anyone listening in on juicy topics. He merely feared anyone might link their conversation to Ignis. Gladio didn't want the advisor to get in any kind of trouble with the councilmen because of him.

When the guy was out of earshot again, he replied quietly. "That would only scare him off."  
"Can't know for sure if you don't try."  
"No."  
"Alright, keep up your slow pace," Nyx replied, holding up his hands in defeat. "It is fun to watch. In a masochistic kind of way."  
"Glad my love life is entertaining you."  
"It would be even more entertaining if you finally reached the not-safe-for-work part." Nyx wiggled his eyebrows.  
"Don't talk to me about _not_ -safe-for-work after that scene I just walked in on at our workplace."

They both laughed before Nyx said his goodbye. He had a mission to fulfill, and he didn't want to work overtime with such an auspicious evening on the horizon.

The rest of the day and Tuesday passed by just like that. Gladio did his best not to imagine how Nyx's shared night with Domicella and Crowe might have gone yesterday. Also, he tried not to think about tomorrow's training session with Noctis and Iggy, where the other would wear these tight leggings again.

Needless to say that Gladio failed at both. He did think about that threesome that had happened Monday night. And he looked forward to tomorrow. Maybe he even jerked off to the thought. Just to avoid getting any awkward boners tomorrow, of course.

On Wednesday morning, Gladio felt like he was going crazy. He hadn't had any contact with Ignis since the weekend. It was only a few days ago, but he missed him so much as if he hadn't seen him for months. Rationally he knew he was exaggerating, emotionally that didn't change a single thing.

At least, he would meet Ignis today. Like two weeks ago, they had a joint training session with Noctis scheduled for the afternoon. Not directly after lunch, but two hours later, since Ignis had a meeting, he couldn't reschedule. 

Gladio knew these two extra hours would drag on forever, but he would bear it somehow. 

In the morning, he sat at his desk. For once, he was alone in the office since his father attended a meeting together with the king. Staring down at the papers in front of him, he wished they would magically get done on their own, but nothing happened.

With a sigh, he browsed through them. Last week, Cor had handed him some data and statistics about the recruits. They listed strengths and weaknesses, the results of their first test about battle strategies, how many targets they hit during the shooting exam, sprint and long-distance times, and how their sword fighting skills were coming along.

The task to prepare a training regimen for the following weeks had been given to Gladio - an _individual_ plan for every recruit. Cor was testing his skills with that. If Gladio wanted to move up in ranks, he needed to do this right.

But his mind couldn't focus today even though he knew he had to hand in his results at the end of this week. 

He didn't know how many times he had read through the documents, taken notes on a paper only to crumble it again as he eventually gave in. Resting his arms on the desk, he dropped his head down with a loud groan.

Of course, that had to be the exact moment his father came back to the office.

"Paperwork won't get done this way."  
"Mh mkou," Gladio mumbled against his arms since he knew that well enough.

A snort left his father. "You've done that since forever."  
"Mhn?"  
"Burying your face somewhere and mumbling rubbish, no one understands."

There was a rare fondness in his father's voice, even though Gladio had expected a lecture about _getting work done_ once again.

"It's usually not a good sign," his father added quietly, and Gladio took a deep breath before he lifted his head.

"Sorry, I know I have to get this done, but I can't focus on these papers," he spat out, frustrated with his inability to get things done.  
"You've never been fond of desk work, but it seems worse today," his father stated, without judging.  
"It's just even more difficult to focus with all these-" he bit his lip. He really shouldn't whine about this while he was at work.

"Feelings?" Clarus prompted softly and leaned against the bookshelf next to Gladio's desk. The young shield grimaced, sighed, and nodded.

"Love sucks in the beginning," his father admitted, surprising Gladio once again. "What's with that look? I've been through that more than once. I know how annoying it can get when it collides with focusing on your duty."

"Even _you_ had trouble focusing on work?" Gladio didn't know why, but that made him feel better. His father had always been a role model for him, but somehow it made him even more perfect that he wasn't perfect in every aspect as well - if that even made sense.

"I did, but I managed."  
"How?"  
"Well, maybe you shouldn't do what you are worst at when your concentration is at its worst as well."

Ah, there was his father's usual strict and direct commentary again.   
"Wouldn't try to do these papers if it weren't necessary," Gladio huffed.  
"What's it about?"  
"Gotta prepare the training regimen for the recruits until the end of the week," he explained. When he said it like that, it sounded so easy.

"You know how to do that and what's important to take into account, so that can't be the problem."

"Yeah, but I keep reading these reports again and again, yet my brain won't register anything." With a sigh, Gladio leaned back. "It sucks anyway to form a plan with only this bit of data. These are just results from a few tests. Who knows if they were at their best or their worst at this one moment."

"Then you need to gather more data," his father suggested as if it were the easiest thing in the world.

"I don't know if there are even more papers."  
"Screw these papers. That's not how you work anyway."  
"Not how I-" Gladio frowned as he thought about his father's words. That was true. Even though he enjoyed reading, he had never liked to _work_ with papers - weird as that may be. It's just that he didn't trust in written words when it came down to evaluating someone's fighting skills. 

Struck by an idea, he slammed his hands to the desk and got up at once. "Screw these papers," he repeated Clarus's words. 

With newfound determination, he looked at his father as he announced his decision.

"I'll go outside, watch them train, or train with them."

Clarus nodded with a small smile. "That's more like you. Go."

"Thanks, Dad," Gladio announced as he left the office, already sprinting to the training grounds outside where Cor and the recruits were. 

The marshall noticed him yet didn't say a word as Gladio stood next to him, arms crossed. He couldn't deny that his thoughts still drifted to Ignis from time to time. However, focusing on the actual training of the recruits came more naturally to him than concentrating on reports.

After a while, he even wrote down a few short notes. 

Of course, Novus made a show, swinging his hips more than necessary and winking at Gladio. However, it wasn't distracting anymore. The young man might look sexy, but when Gladio remembered his annoying and clingy character, he could only roll his eyes. 

Prompto was nervous after a while, probably realizing that Gladio was watching to evaluate them, and not just for fun. Yet after a few reassuring nods, the blond calmed down again.

With time, he managed to write down a few outlines of the training regimen and managed to pass the time until his appointed meeting with Noctis and Ignis in the afternoon.

Since he couldn't wait to see Ignis, he went to the training hall a few minutes too early. Once again, he had reserved one of the smaller halls only for the three of them. 

For an early summer day, it was surprisingly hot today, and Gladio regretted that he didn't keep his wardrobe more organized - he had grabbed a t-shirt instead of a sleeveless muscle shirt.

Already feeling hot as he started his routine of warm-up exercises, his gaze kept wandering to the door, waiting for the others.

Right on time, Ignis came rushing into the hall, a bit out of breath.

Gladio didn't know whether he had been greeted by the advisor or not. He only knew that he kept staring at these way-too-tight black leggings as Ignis put his bag on one of the benches. On top of it, he wore a loose, sleeveless pink shirt - neon pink. Gladio had never seen anyone wear this color without looking ridiculous, but of course, Iggy managed to make it look sexy.

Nyx had told him that the black leggings looked even tighter, but Gladio hadn't believed it. Furthermore, it was one of these shiny fabrics, highlighting his thighs and ass whenever he moved.

"Gladiolus?"

"Huh?" He finally snapped out of it, only now realizing that he had stopped in his movements ever since Ignis had arrived. Stretching one last time, he did his best to calm down. "Sorry, I was focusing on warm-up exercises."

It took only one look at Ignis's face to know that the man didn't buy his poor excuse. Yet Gladio didn't even care as he studied his face more closely. Where these bags under his eyes? And somehow, he looked tense. Way too tense.

"Did something happen?"   
"I assume, Noct hasn't contacted you. His majesty has some time off, so they decided to spend the afternoon together," Ignis replied, already starting to stretch to warm up his body.

"Oh, okay." Gladio was perplexed. However, while it was nice to watch Ignis's flexible body, the other still averted his gaze. "But that's not what I meant," he added with a frown.

"Don't worry. The meeting that got canceled wasn't significant. Therefore, Regis can afford that time off without any troubles," Ignis explained as he sat down on the ground. He was spreading his outstretched legs, leaning down with his upper body, and grabbing his toes to stretch. 

It looked so easy, and it was way too hot _how_ flexible he was. Yet Gladio wouldn't fall prey to that distraction. "I'm not talking about Regis. I'm talking about you."

"Oh, my apologies," Ignis said without even looking at Gladio as he changed sides, grabbing his right foot now. "I assumed we could train without Noct as well, but I should have consulted you about that regard earlier."

" _Ifrit's balls_ ," Gladio cursed before he crouched down right in front of Ignis, voice still enraged. "I wanna know what happened to you, Iggy! Cause you look like shit, and I'm not talking about this fuckingly sexy outfit!"

Well, that had gotten him the advisor's attention - even though he looked at him in shock. 

"What's wrong?" he prompted more softly, and Ignis bit his bottom lip, averting his gaze as he pulled his knees to hug them. For a moment, he almost looked like Prompto when he was curling in on himself to flee from the world.

"What gave me away?" Ignis finally whispered.  
"Huh?"  
"Usually only Noct notices," he clarified.  
"Ah, well, maybe I've just gotten better at reading you," Gladio mentioned. 

Some months ago, they would have started a fight over Ignis avoiding Gladio's questions like that. Now that he thought about it, maybe most of their disputes had been caused by him not paying enough attention to Ignis's moods and by Ignis being too closed up about it.

"I'm angry at myself," Ignis suddenly admitted with a sigh.  
"Why?" Gladio wanted to know. Instead of crouching all the time, he dropped down on his ass, sitting cross-legged in front of the advisor.

"I'm having trouble concentrating today, which causes me to work slower. Furthermore, it leads to unnecessary mistakes costing me even more valuable time."

"Sounds pretty normal to me," Gladio answered with a shrug even as Ignis threw a death glare at him. He hadn't lied. It wasn't unusual for anyone to have days off like this, but it was a rarity for Ignis.

Still, it wasn't the end of the world. "Hate to break it to you, Iggy, but you are just a normal human being - not a perfectly functioning working machine."

"It is still exhausting to keep getting distracted from work all the time," Ignis admitted with a sigh, looking at Gladio as if searching for help.

"Distracted by what?" 

"Thoughts," the advisor replied, averting his gaze again.

Holding back a sigh, Gladio wondered if an answer could be even vaguer.   
"Thoughts you are allowing or thoughts you are suppressing?"

"The second option," Ignis confirmed.

"Well, maybe try the first one then," the shield suggested, but the advisor didn't look convinced. "It's like when you have a song stuck in your head. The same line of it will replay over and over in your mind no matter how often you try to suppress it. But once you accept it and sing or listen to the whole song, it gets better afterwards."

A small smile slipped to Ignis's face, and Gladio counted that as a triumph. "That's an unusual comparison."

"Doesn't necessarily make it wrong."

"No, it doesn't." Closing his eyes, Ignis took a deep breath. "I'll try to follow your advice."

"Oh." Gladio blinked. Somehow he hadn't expected that answer. "That's good."

"Let's start our training session now," Ignis suggested as he stood up to summon his wooden polearm. "I'm afraid I don't have time to prolong our time since I still got a meeting afterwards."

"That late?" Gladio huffed in disbelief. One day Ignis had to stop working so much all the time. "Are you sure you wanna train and not use the time to take a break?"

"No, I," the advisor chewed on his lip shortly before he answered quietly, "I've been looking forward to training _with you_."

Cheeks taking on a red color, Gladio immediately got up to summon his training sword. "I'm all yours! Just tell me what you need!"

Only when Ignis blushed as well, Gladio realized what he had said in his eager excitement. "What you need to train, _want_ to train," he babbled, "daggers, polearm, whatever. Probably polearm since you have already summoned that. I'll shut up now."

Ignis giggled, holding his left hand in front of his mouth. For the first time today, he looked relaxed, and Gladio didn't mind that he had just babbled like a fool if it made Ignis happy.

"Our last session with Noct told me that I'm still not used to attacking with my polearm. I would like to work on that if it's alright with you."

"Sure," Gladio replied at once before a smirk slipped to his lips. "Hit me with all you've got."

"Oh?" Ignis mockingly pulled up an eyebrow as he smirked as well. A shudder went down Gladio's body. "I thought you weren't into pain?"

_Shit_. 

Of course, Iggy had to bring that up now. However, Gladio was happy he could flirt with this beautiful man.

"But I'm into _you_ ," he stated with a wink.

"I'm not Noctis. I won't fall prey to your distractions," Ignis stated, even though he looked flustered as he got into position to fight.

"One day, you will admit you've fallen for me," Gladio teased him even more, preparing for the first incoming hit.

"You're talking too much," Ignis replied, cheeks red as he launched his attack. 

With a grin, Gladio blocked it with ease, wiggling his eyebrows to taunt him. 

Ignis wasn't Noctis. He didn't fall for his taunts, but he wasn't unaffected by them either.

Grinning, they exchanged a few hits, testing the waters before they fell into some kind of rhythm. 

Ignis's fighting style with the polearm looked almost like a dance. Gladio felt his concentration slipping whenever he remembered that was probably because the other man knew how to pole dance. It was a fact that he wouldn't forget so soon. Deep down, he was still jealous that Noct had seen him dance yet Gladio had not. Maybe one day, he would get a chance to witness it as well. He wanted to. 

Years of training with his broadsword along with his reflexes kept him safe from Ignis's hits, even though his thoughts and concentration slipped away more than once. 

At some point, he started to attack as well. Ignis wanted to train his offensive moves, but blocking was necessary, too. With this, a constant back and forth evolved between them.

After a while, Gladio felt way too hot in his shirt as they kept moving in this stuffy hall, heated up by the afternoon sun.

"Gimme a sec," he requested, taking off his shirt. Using the piece of cloth to wipe the sweat from his face, he threw it to one of the unoccupied benches located at the side of the room. "Alright." He got into position again, ready to block Ignis's next attack.

But Ignis only stared at him.  
Eyes wide.  
Mouth agape.  
Eventually, he gulped.  
Relaxing his stance again, Gladio cocked his neck. "What?"

"My apologies," Ignis replied, startled out of whatever had him frozen before. Awaiting a more thorough explanation, Gladio continued to look at him. After a while, the advisor gave in. "It's just-" He broke off again.

"My tattoo?" Gladio asked, praying to the Six that he hadn't misinterpreted that.

"My apologies for staring," Ignis replied at once, averting his gaze for just a second until his eyes flicked back again. "I've never seen it. Not completely, at least."

"Oh." Gladio hadn't even realized that. It wasn't a rarity that he was shirtless during training, but usually, Ignis wasn't there to witness it. "Wanna take a closer look at it?"

Sometimes Gladio still didn't know how much was okay with Ignis and how much not.   
How much could he flirt until he crossed an invisible line?   
How close could he get without intruding on personal space?   
How daring could he be before he scared the other man off?

"Yes," Ignis replied, his voice a bit rough. Gladio felt a shudder running down his body as the other man walked closer, eyes on him as if Gladio were his prey.

"There's even more to see on the back," he said while turning around. It felt like running away, but he had to calm his raging heartbeat before he exploded. 

"It's _massive_ ," Ignis mumbled, close to Gladio's back. 

Squeezing his eyes shut, Gladio had to remind himself that Ignis was only referring to his _tattoo_. Not to his back, not to his muscles, and most of all, _not_ to his boner that hopefully wasn't visible beneath his tight underwear and extra baggy training shorts.

When he felt a finger carefully tracing the lines on his back, he flinched, turning around on reflex.

He was staring right into Ignis's eyes. They were as green and beautiful as always, although they had widened a bit, surprised by Gladio's sudden movements. "Sorry."

"No," Ignis cleared his throat. "I have to apologize. I shouldn't have touched you without permission."

"No, no, it's okay! I just got startled since I hadn't expected it," Gladio explained. "Feel free to touch."

Ignis took in a sharp breath. His eyes were on Gladio's left chest, where the head of his eagle tattoo was. 

Holding his breath, Gladio watched Ignis's hand slowly getting closer until two fingertips grazed over his shoulder.

Of course, the other wouldn't outright touch his chest. 

Breathing again, Gladio relished being the center of Ignis's attention like this. Even though they had both worked up a sweat, the familiar fresh citrus scent drifted to his nose as he stood close to the other man.

"Did it hurt?" Ignis asked quietly as his fingers softly graced the outline of a feather over his upper arm.

"Some parts more than others," he admitted, "but it was worth it."

"Indeed," Ignis confirmed. It was nice that the other slowly opened up and admitted his interest. Gladio couldn't help but push even further.

"Like what you see?" He asked, a devious grin slipping to his face.

"Yes," was the honest reply he got as Ignis looked up, right into his eyes.

Suddenly it felt like time had stopped. Ignis's hand was resting on top of Gladio's shoulder as they stared at each other. Lost in these beautiful, deep green eyes, Gladio felt his body drifting closer to Ignis's. It was like he was getting pulled in by some kind of magic. 

Even though he didn't dare to avert his gaze and wouldn't want to miss the unusual flickering of emotion in these green eyes, he felt his eyelids slowly closing. Not entirely, but bit by bit. In slow-motion, afraid to somehow break this moment, he bent his head to the side. Licking his lips, he drifted even closer, feeling the other's breath on his skin. Ignis's eyes were half-lidded as he leaned forward to close the last distance between-

A loud alarm sounded through the room, and they both opened their eyes, taking a step back in surprise.

" _Bloody hell_ ," Ignis cursed, walking over to his bag, pulling out his phone to shut off the sound. 

"Time's up?" Gladio asked, his voice wavering as he bit back the tone of bitter disappointment.

"I'm afraid so, my apologies. I've gotta go," Ignis explained, shouldering his bag.

"Yeah, of course. Good luck with your meeting," Gladio replied while Ignis already fled from the training hall without looking back at him.

As if in a trance, Gladio flopped down on one of the benches and stared up at the ceiling.

Had this really been happening just now? Or, more precisely, had _not_ happened? A bitter laugh tumbled from his lips. He had been so close. _So close._

Grabbing the shirt that lay next to him, he pressed it against his face and let out a loud groan that almost turned into a scream. " _Fuck_!"

"Fuck, fuck, fuck!" Cursing, he got up from the bench, walking back and forth in the hall. 

At some point, he threw his shirt to the floor before he lay down on his stomach, burying his face in the fabric with a groan. It wasn't as comfortable as a bed or a couch - far from it. But he needed this. This was his way of dealing with the fact that he couldn't deal with this.

He knew that his thoughts weren't even making sense anymore. He also knew that no matter how much he swore, cursed the gods, or whined, it wouldn't change a thing.

He had been so close to kissing Ignis, but it hadn't happened. After mumbling a few more curses and whines into his shirt, he eventually turned around.

Laying on his back, he stared at the ceiling of the training hall. By now, his body had cooled down, and the coldness from the floor was creeping up to him. Yet he didn't care. The only thing he cared about was that almost-kiss with Ignis just now. The kiss that didn't happen because they had gotten interrupted. If not for that, they would have-

Gladio sat up as if struck by lightning.

If not, they _would_ have kissed.

Suddenly, he felt giddy. That hadn't been his imagination running wild. It hadn't been just him.

_Ignis_ had been leaning closer as well.  
Ignis had _wanted_ this as well.

Burying his face in his hands, he screamed again. But this time, the sudden outburst had been caused by positive emotions. 

A chuckle left him.

_Ignis had almost kissed him._

Another chuckle tumbled from his lips.

_Ignis had wanted to kiss him._

Giggling, he rolled around on the floor.

"Should I be concerned or pretend I haven't witnessed you giggling more than your little sister just now?" 

As he heard his father's voice, Gladio jumped to his feet so fast, he felt dizzy for a moment. There was an amused smile on Clarus's face as he stood in the training hall watching his son.

Cor entered the room in his training clothes, his eyes flicking from father to son, an unspoken question on his face.

"Never happened!" Gladio exclaimed, grabbed his shirt, and stormed out of the room before any of them could ask further questions or coax him into training with them.

Feeling too restless to stop, he skipped his shower. Instead, he put on his shirt, grabbed his bag, and decided to jog home.

Although it was more of a run since he needed to get this energy out of his system.

He couldn't deny that he had pictured many situations where the first kiss with Ignis could happen - even before he knew the other was even interested in that.

There had been scenarios involving training sessions as well. However, it had always been the clichéd version Gladio knew from his romance novels: Training together, Ignis somehow tripping over his feet, falling, and landing on top of Gladio. Either their lips would have already touched by then, or they would look into each other's eyes and kiss then.

Like they had almost done moments ago.

Gladio sped up his run even more as if he could run away from his thoughts, his desire, his _love_.

When Gladio arrived home, he went straight into the bathroom to take a shower and rub one off. Afterwards, he had finally calmed down again. At least a bit.

The next morning he had woken up with a massive boner after dreaming that Ignis was kissing not just his lips but every part of his body. Taking a cold shower didn't help, so he gave in to his body's need once more.

At least, now that that was taken care of, he should be able to concentrate on work. 

Fortunately, his dad had stayed true to his word, not mentioning yesterday's incident as Gladio came to their office to compare his notes to the data he had left on his desk. It didn't take more than half an hour until his brain refused to focus on any written reports again. With a sigh, he just grabbed all his papers and put them on a clipboard.

Notes and pen in hand, he went to the training grounds again. It was easier to work on this while he watched the recruits. Furthermore, he could check if his notes from yesterday still applied today. 

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Cor nodding at him. Apparently, the marshall approved of his approach to this assignment. So, Gladio did his best to focus on fulfilling his task. Novus had paired up Prompto, and he was surprised to see that the sword skills of both men had improved.

Sometime later, his phone rang. At first, Gladio wanted to ignore it, but knowing that it might be urgent, he took it out of his pocket.

"What's up, princess?" he asked after picking up.  
"That's what _I_ wanted to know," the prince remarked on the other side of the line.

"Huh?" Gladio had no idea what the other was talking about.  
"Iggy is so tired that he dropped his coffee cup during our morning meeting. Twice."

"What?!" Gladio exclaimed, probably a bit too loud, judging by how many recruits suddenly stared at him. Even Cor had turned his full attention to him. He held up his hand in apology before he walked a few steps, getting some distance from the others.

"When we went to his office, he didn't have any Ebony there anymore and said he _forgot_ to bring more today," Noctis continued his narration as Gladio walked towards a lone tree, leaning against it. "He looked like an undead monster. Even his shirt was buttoned up the wrong way."

"Yesterday, he was tired as well, but not _that_ much," Gladio mentioned while his brain desperately searched for an explanation. It was unusual for Iggy to be that out of it.

"I'm pretty sure he didn't sleep a wink tonight," Noctis sighed. "I asked if something happened at your training session, but he said no."

Gladio bit his lip. That wasn't a lie since nothing had happened. Just almost. With a bit more time, their lips would have met.

"You're too quiet. Something _did_ happen after all," Noct deduced.  
"Not really. I've shown Ignis my tattoo, and maybe something might have happened, but the alarm on his phone killed the moment."  
"Hm. No reason to pull an all-nighter," Noctis mumbled.

"But he had told me before that he had had troubles to concentrate on work all day since he was distracted by _thoughts_." Gladio still wasn't satisfied with that vague answer. "Wouldn't tell me what exactly, but yeah. Maybe he had to catch up on work because of that?"

"He's always overthinking everything, but usually that doesn't bother him," Noctis mentioned before he went quiet.

Closing his eyes, Gladio did his best to remember yesterday's training session. Had he missed something? 

"Whatever," Noctis mumbled after a while. "I'll talk to him tomorrow when he's more awake again."

"Anything I can do?" Gladio asked since he couldn't just sit by and do nothing after hearing this.

"I've told him to go home and rest for today, but you know how he is - we wouldn't listen. He's in another meeting now. Maybe you can talk to him during your lunch break? He might listen if you send him home."

"I don't think anyone or anything can stop Iggy from doing his work, but I'll try."

"Good luck, you'll need it."

"Yeah," Gladio huffed.

"Ah, by the way, wanna go to the coffee shop again on Sunday? Prom and I won't have time tomorrow evening. We wanna continue playing Ludus 2."

"So gaming with Prompto is more important than hanging out _with me_ on Friday evening?" Gladio asked, sounding hurt even though they both knew he was only joking.

"Yes," Noct simply dared to reply. "So, Sunday at 1 p.m. at the coffee shop?"

"Yeah, yeah, Sunday at 1 p.m. at the coffee shop," Gladio gave in.

After hanging up, Gladio stared at the time on his phone. If he could, he would visit Iggy at once, but the lunch break was still almost two hours away. And storming into a council meeting to drag the advisor out of it would probably cause more harm than do any good. 

Accepting his fate, Gladio walked back to Cor and the recruits. The marshall side-eyed him twice, checking if anything serious had happened. However, when Gladio shook his head, Cor didn't ask any questions.

Sometimes it was a good thing that the marshall wasn't a man of many words.

It took a lot of willpower and concentration, but Gladio managed to spend the time until lunch break by watching and evaluating the recruits. By now, he had gathered enough information to set up their personal training regimen.

But that was only secondary now. First was Ignis.

Walking over to the advisor's office as fast as possible without running, Gladio knocked on his door as soon as he arrived.

When no one answered, he knocked again before he opened the door.

The office was empty. By the looks of it, Ignis wasn't yet back from his meeting.

As he pondered to wait inside or not, someone walked up to him.

"Gladiolus?"

"Ah, there you are," Gladio replied with a smile, holding the door open for Ignis to enter. The advisor frowned but went in anyway, putting his laptop and papers to the desk.

Although the stack of papers slipped from the edge, spreading the documents on the floor.

" _Oh, for-_ " Ignis started to curse but broke off midway. 

"Princess was worried about you," Gladio explained as he leaned down to help picking up the papers.

"He doesn't need to be concerned," Ignis replied immediately. Not that Gladio had expected anything else but that exact answer.

"But he is. And I'm as well," he added quietly. "You should go home and rest."

"I still have two meetings today. I'll leave afterwards," the advisor stated, reaching for the last scattered documents. "Ouch!" He exclaimed as he accidentally cut his finger on the sharp edge of one of the papers.

On reflex, Gladio reached for Ignis's hand, taking it closer to his face to inspect the wound. At least, he had enough of a mind not to take the finger into his mouth like that time Ignis had burned his hand.

"You're going home now," Gladio ordered.  
"It's just a papercut," Ignis stated but shut up as Gladio stared at him with a stern gaze.  
"You need some sleep, Iggy. Tell me what I need to know about these meetings, and I'll go in your place." He let go of his hand.  
"You don't have to-"  
"Ignis!" Gladio exclaimed more loudly than he had intended, and Ignis's eyes widened in surprise.

Taking a deep breath to calm down, Gladio reached out for the other. Carefully, he cupped Ignis's face with his right hand, his thumb soft stroking the skin below Iggy's glasses. "You look as if you haven't slept all night," he whispered softly.

He noticed Ignis's lips quivering until he bit down on his bottom lip, averting his gaze. It was clear that the other was fighting a battle with himself. Ignis knew he needed to rest, but he always put work first.

"That's because I _haven't_ slept," Ignis confirmed.  
"Which makes you prone to mistakes that usually never happen to you," Gladio stated what was the truth, but the other flinched, grimacing as he didn't want to accept it. "Don't you think it would be better to rest today? And come back tomorrow when you are at your best again?"

It was quiet.

Gladio still had his hand on Ignis's face, softly caressing his cheek as he waited patiently for his answer.

"I don't want to burden you with my work," Ignis said after a while.

"It's okay once in a while, don't worry. I wouldn't offer if I didn't mean it," Gladio explained.  
"What about you? Surely you have your own work to do," Ignis asked worriedly.

"It won't hurt me to skip training one day. And I can still finish my other work tomorrow morning," he offered even though he knew that might get a bit stressful the next day. But he would manage. Cor had wanted the new training regimens by Friday, but he hadn't mentioned an exact time.

"But, still, I-" Ignis broke off again, averting his gaze.

Gladio frowned, stopping the movements of his thumb, but letting his hand rest on the other man's cheek. "Is there a reason you can't sleep?"

"No!" Ignis exclaimed, getting up all of a sudden. "It's fine."  
"That doesn't sound convincing," Gladio called out the lie as he slowly got up as well.

"The first meeting is at 1 o'clock. Here is the agenda." Ignis had shifted into work-mode again, handing a paper to Gladio. "The most important parts will be the second and fifth topic. I have written down a few questions. If they don't get answered during the councilman's speech, ask him afterwards."

"Alright."   
Gladio was still worried about the reason for Ignis's lack of sleep, but at least the advisor had decided to accept his offer to leave these meetings to him. It was enough of a victory, so he would not push him anymore about anything else. 

Listening closely to Ignis's instructions, Gladio took a few more notes so he wouldn't forget anything. Of course, he didn't look forward to sitting in not only one but two boring meetings this afternoon, but he would do it - for Ignis.

After briefing Gladio about everything, Ignis cleaned up his work desk, putting away some other papers until Gladio finally managed to usher him out of the office - not before promising him three times that he would leave the notes about the council meetings on his desk later, so Ignis could have an early start tomorrow and work through them.

He offered to drive Ignis home, but the advisor declined since Gladio would be late for the meeting then.

Grabbing two sandwiches from the Cafeteria on his way, Gladio hurried to the meeting room. Noctis was there as well, throwing him a thumbs up. The other members of the meeting were a bit surprised when he announced that he was here since Ignis was busy, but they didn't question it any further. At the beginning of the meeting, he ate his lunch. He didn't care if any of the councilmembers were bothered by it. These old, stiff, council people needed to loosen up a bit.

He managed to get through the first meeting surprisingly well. Gladio and Noct were texting each other under the table from time to time, silently complaining about council members. They were sending stupid emojis and gifs that looked like them. It was funny and helped him not to fall asleep. Still, he made sure to pay extra attention during the parts Ignis had pointed out to him. 

Once, he even asked something when sometimes made no sense to him, but he had to take more detailed notes for Ignis. That led to a short discussion with one of the councilmen, which ended with the councilman admitting that he had made a mistake, and only Gladio had noticed. Everyone looked at him in surprise, but he didn't care. He knew that they all thought he was just muscles and no brain.

The second meeting was more difficult. Noct wasn't there, and it was the late afternoon already. Usually, he didn't drink much coffee, but today he was glad when Verecunda offered him a cup more than once. He was starting to understand where Ignis's addiction to caffeine came from.

No matter how difficult it was, he managed to get through that meeting as well. It had gone on longer than planned, and Gladio was way too exhausted as he put all his notes on Ignis's desk like promised.

On his phone, there was a text message from Nyx, saying that he was already home and Gladio could drop by any time. Texting him back that he was on his way now and in desperate need of something to eat, his best friend suggested ordering pizza.

Blessed by the Astrals, for once, Gladio arrived at Nyx's flat at the same moment their dinner was delivered.

He only felt a bit bad as he lazily sat down on the bed with a pizza box on his lap after a day of skipping training.

"So," Nyx started to say, already looking way too amused. "What is this rumor about you showing up a council member by pointing out a huge mistake he had made?"

Gladio had just opened his mouth to bite into his first slice of pizza, but he dropped his hand again. "How do you-" he broke off with a huff. It wasn't normal how fast these rumors always traveled.

"I have my sources," Nyx explained smugly, wiggling his eyebrows.  
"I don't think your source is any of these council members," Gladio mentioned as he tried to figure out where these rumors always came from.

"I wouldn't even wanna talk to them," the glaive replied with a displeased look on his face.

"Noct's too lazy to share any rumors," Gladio continued, making Nyx snort. "And Verecunda is too shy."

"Maybe she isn't as innocent as she looks," Nyx mentioned with a shrug.  
"Nah, she is. There was another maid there, although I don't know her name," Gladio mentioned, and Nyx threw him some finger guns.

"You've hit your target, eagle boy! Now tell me why you were in this meeting in the first place."  
"Oh, didn't your source tell you that?"  
"Unfortunately not, no," Nyx heaved a sigh. "She still has a thing or two to learn."

"I took Iggy's place since he went home early," Gladio explained as he finally took the first bite of his pizza.  
"Pretty boy went home early?" Nyx pulled up an eyebrow in disbelief. "Did he skip work because he was too horny?"

"Nyx!" Gladio exclaimed and coughed as he choked over his food.  
"He's _so horny_ this week," Nyx emphasized his statement with a deep purr.  
"You're making things up,"  
"Nuh-uh, eagle boy. You should have seen him during magic training on Tuesday. There was so much fire in his eyes when I told him about my threesome on Monday."

Gladio had almost forgotten about that. "Why are you telling him about that?!"  
His best friend shrugged as he picked up a slice of his pizza. "Why not?"

Not knowing what to retort, Gladio kept quiet as Nyx chewed on his dinner. Why not? Sure. If Ignis were too bothered by it, he would make that clear. And Nyx might like to talk about this stuff, but he usually noticed when someone was genuinely uncomfortable.

"And you should have seen his face as I took off my shirt again," Nyx continued with a grin.  
"Why did you undress?" Gladio asked, flustered as he remembered yesterday afternoon when he had taken off his shirt.  
"It was too hot inside the training hall with all these magical flames," Nyx explained with a whine.

"Aren't you in that hall that's specially made for magic training? They should install an air conditioner."  
"So we can freeze our ass off when using ice magic?"  
"Yeah, yeah."  
"Anyway, he kept staring at my piercing again, licking his lips. His gaze even ventured lower. I almost expected him to jump me. He looked so needy."

"You're exaggerating," Gladio replied, while a weird mix of feelings was swirling through his stomach. Jealousy if Ignis really had looked at Nyx like that. Uncertainty since Ignis hadn't looked at _him_ like that. However, there was something else: Arousal.

No. 

Gladio shook his head. He shouldn't get hot by the thought that his love interest ogled his best friend - if that even happened. Nyx had told him a few times that Ignis was checking him out, but Gladio could never really believe it. Probably because he had never witnessed Iggy checking out anyone.

"I'm not exaggerating. You're just still in denial about the fact that pretty boy has desires as well," Nyx stated as if he could read Gladio's mind. "Anyway, I told him it was okay to admit when he was attracted to something or someone."

"What?" Gladio dropped his slice of pizza. "What did he answer?"

"Nothing," Nyx chuckled. "Just blushed and averted his gaze for a few seconds before he kept staring at me again with these hungry, needy eyes."

" _Astrals_!" Gladio didn't know what to do with this information. 

"How went your training session yesterday?" Nyx asked, sounding casual as he continued to enjoy his pizza while teasing Gladio.

"Noct wasn't there."  
"Oh, now I'm interested." Nyx leaned forward, a sparkle in his eyes.  
"I showed him my tattoo," Gladio mentioned.  
"And you're asking me why I'm taking my shirt off."  
"Shut up, and listen, man!" Gladio complained, shoving his best friend with his elbow, but the glaive only laughed.  
"I only shut up when I'm sleeping."

Rolling his eyes, he ignored that comment. It was the truth anyway. "We kinda had a moment there," Gladio continued, a smile finding its way to his face as he recalled the memories. "We almost kissed, but then the alarm on his phone went off."

"Oh," Nyx grinned widely, "so he was horny yesterday as well."  
"Nyx, no. If anything, he was tired. Today as well. He had stayed up the whole night."  
"To do naughty things?" his best friend asked smugly but dropped it as Gladio stared at him.  
"I'm serious, Nyx. He just wasn't himself. I'm worried."

"So much work?" Nyx asked, more serious now.  
"Don't think so. Must have been something else," Gladio returned even though he still had no idea what was causing Ignis to lose his sleep. If it wasn't because of work or Noctis, then what else could it be?

"As if. What else should pretty boy stay up-" Nyx stopped in the middle of his sentence.  
They stared at each other for a few seconds before they both processed the exact same thought. Taking out their phones, they reloaded Ignis's fanfictions page. 

"Jackpot," Nyx said with an amused smile as his eyes fell on the new fanfiction that had gotten uploaded early this morning. "Who would have thought that pretty boy even neglects his sleep between workdays to write fanfics." 

"I'm not sure I'm really reading these tags right now," Gladio mumbled as he stared at his phone. That couldn't be. But of course, Nyx read the tags out loud again, if only to tease Gladio.

"Just thoughts, pre-relationship, NSFW, threesome. _Uh_!" The smugness on his best friend's face told him what would happen next. "And _'Forbidden Fantasies'_ as title?! We're so gonna read that now."

Too nervous to eat, Gladio put his pizza to the side of the bed as he leaned against the wall. Nyx made himself comfortable right next to him, reading the story out loud even though Gladio had his phone in his hand as well, reading along.

Writer0509's notes:   
_I couldn't get this out of my head, so I followed the advice I got, accepted it, and wrote it down._

  
_Liber was done for._

_He was losing his sleep over this._

_Although it had all started so innocently._

_Yesterday, Meridies had wanted to watch a material arts tournament Aegis was participating in. Of course, Liber had accepted the offer to accompany him. Any excuse to watch Aegis was worth it._

_And Aegis had been as hot as always: Strong muscles, beautiful tattoo, raw strength._

_But that wasn't what had robbed Liber of his sleep last night, no. It had been Iucundus - Aegis's comrade. Braided hair, smug grin, lean yet well-toned, pierced. Aegis had spotted them after the tournament and introduced his friend to them._

_Needless to say, that both men had been shirtless at the moment, bodies still heated up from their fights._

_Liber had looked at Iucundus, and that was the moment he had been done for._

_It was a purely physical attraction. Hormones, making Liber long for that man, clouding his usually focused mind with dirty_ _thoughts._

_It was weird._

_Usually, Liber wasn't physically attracted to anyone to such a high degree - except for Aegis._

_But he didn't love Iucundus. He didn't feel the need to hold his hand or to be on the receiving end of his smile. But he wished to be on the receiving end of his member - while Aegis watched them._

_However, he didn't only want to receive it - he wanted to give it to him as well. Would such a man even let himself get taken by anyone? By him?_

_He was pretty sure that Aegis had taken Iucundus to bed at least once. And it was frightening how much that thought turned him on. He should be jealous, but Aegis and Iucundus would look so hot together._

_He wondered how they had touched each other. Slowly and lovingly? Fast and wild? Both?_

_He wanted to witness that. Longed to watch them, longed to touch them, longed to participate._

_Liber was ashamed._

_Never before had he felt such an attraction towards a man for whom he didn't harbor any romantic feelings. Was that how Aegis always felt when he, once again, picked up someone else for a one night stand?_

_Trying to deny this desire had caused Liber to lose his sleep all night. What was wrong with him? By now, he was used to his pure feelings of love for Aegis sometimes getting overshadowed by a mere animalistic desire. However, now he wished to be touched not only by Aegis but by Iucundus as well._

_Liber couldn't go on like that anymore. Somehow he had gotten through his workday, but he knew he would lose sleep over this again if he didn't do something about it._

_Maybe he just had to accept it. Accept that his body desired to be with these two men - if only for a night. That would be enough. Just one night to live out these dirty fantasies, one night to go through this new experience. To be sandwiched between these two men, to tease Aegis with the help of someone else, to join Aegis in his quest to satisfy another man._

_Liber didn't know what exactly he wanted, but at the same time, he wanted it all._

_Hard._   
_Fast._   
_Now._

_Teasingly._   
_Slow._   
_At least once._

_Liber was going crazy._

_He and Aegis weren't even in a relationship. Furthermore, he didn't even know if this manifestation of attractiveness named Iucundus would ever be interested in someone like him._

_Liber couldn't compete with these two in any way. They would never be interested in sharing their bed with a -compared to them- boring and inexperienced man._

_But that was okay: Liber would just join them in his fantasy. His imagination was free. No one had to know what he thought about as he touched himself that night. No one had to know that in a moment of weakness, he longed for a one-night stand with his love interest and Aegis's best friend._

_Just imagining to be with these two would be enough for tonight. That had to quell Liber's desire._

_And tomorrow, that desire would be gone again._

_And if not, it would be gone if he ever got together with Aegis._

_And if not, maybe Aegis and Iucundus wouldn't mind-_

_No._

_That thought was forbidden._

"Pinch me," Gladio mumbled as he stared at his phone, still not believing what they had just read.  
"Ouch!" he exclaimed as Nyx pinched his thigh fiercer than necessary.

Wanting to complain, Gladio turned his head towards his friend but was confused as he noticed him typing something on his phone.

"What are you doing?" Gladio asked, a nagging feeling creeping upon him.  
"Leaving a comment," Nyx replied with a smug smile.  
"What?!"  
"That's what you do after reading a nice fic, eagle boy."

As the glaive put his phone down, Gladio knew it was already too late to stop him. Reloading the page, he scrolled down to the comment section.

SexiestManOnEos69:   
_Iucundus would be all in._

"Dude! You can't just write that!"   
"Why not?" Nyx returned, and Gladio was starting to hate this question today. 

"Because-" Gladio bit his lip. Images were flashing up in his mind: He between Ignis and Nyx. He and Nyx, pleasuring Ignis. He and Ignis, shutting Nyx up.

"What's on your mind, eagle boy?" Nyx asked, even though they both knew it was a rhetorical question. Sometimes Gladio hated this all-knowing grin.

" _Fuck_!" He cursed, burying his face in his hands. 

Laughing loudly, Nyx slapped Gladio's thigh a few times before he let his hand rest there, his thumb rubbing soothing circles.

"I know you mean well, but right now, even that is turning me on," Gladio mumbled. With a snort, Nyx took his hand back. "Someone's needy right now."

"Well, what do you expect after reading that?!"  
"I get it, eagle boy. Believe me," Nyx purred, his voice deep. "Pretty boy was always out of my reach since I knew that you love him, but now-"  
"Don't say it," Gladio begged, fearing that saying it out loud would make it even more real.  
"Now I can't stop thinking about a threesome with you two," Nyx said anyway.

A mix of a grown and scream left Gladio as he leaned forward to flop face down on the mattress, screaming into the sheets.

"Are you trying to seduce me, or why are you presenting your ass to me like that?"  
"Mh nmot dmoinmg tmhat!"   
"No idea what you just said, but I got a reply to my comment."  
"What?" Gladio sat back up again, dizzy for a short moment after the sudden movement. 

Not finding his phone between the sheets, he took his place beside Nyx again, leaning into his personal space to look at his phone.

Writer0509:   
_Astrals..._  
 _I don't even remember uploading this fanfiction. However, deleting it now would be too late._  
 _Anyway, just in case, I might write a continuation someday:_  
 _Would Iucundus prefer to be a spectator or a participant? Top or bottom? Oral or anal?_

Ignis hadn't even intended to upload that. He must have been too tired and uploaded it out of habit. Nonetheless, he didn't take it back now.

"Eagle boy?"

Ignis was true to his words. He had even asked Nyx for more details. That meant he was thinking about that for real: about a threesome with Gladio's best friend. _By the balls of Ifrit_ , he had even _asked_ for Nyx's preferences. 

"Are you still there, eagle boy? I expected you to scream and roll around on the bed like a madman."

Gladio still couldn't believe this was happening. Ignis was interested in a threesome? Even if it might have been only in the heat of the moment. Even if the feeling might be gone again now. The fact remained that Ignis had entertained the idea of having a threesome with Nyx and him.

That thought was just too hot.

With a loud moan, Gladio buried his face in the crook of the left side of Nyx's neck, putting his arms around the glaive's waist.

"You're testing my self-restraint, eagle boy," Nyx whispered, his voice deep as his left arm came up to stroke up and down Gladio's back.

"Sorry," Gladio whispered, having felt the shift in the mood as well. They longed to touch each other: Both of them. 

But they would hold back: Both of them.

When Gladio had come to terms with his decision to stop his one night stands, he had slowly but surely accepted that he wouldn't sleep with Nyx ever again.

But now-

He took in a deep breath. His friend still used the same cologne as always, a scent so different from Ignis's, yet calming and familiar nonetheless.

"Read," Nyx prompted suddenly, holding his phone close to Gladio's face. Keeping his head rested on his friend's shoulder, Gladio scanned the screen of the phone.

SexiestManOnEos69:  
 _When I said all in, I meant all in. Iucundus would be up for all of that - everything Liber wished to try. Anytime. No commitment, no jealousy._

Writer0509:  
 _Thanks for the input._  
 _If the topic ever comes up again, it might be useful to know that 2/3 are on board._

"Wait, what's the missing third?" Gladio asked with a frown.  
" _You_ , stupid. So leave a comment already," Nyx said as he leaned forward. 

Without the support, Gladio dropped down to lie sideways on the bed. 

"Here," Nyx said, handing Gladio his phone after picking it up from somewhere between the sheets. "Just be honest. Even if you are not on board."

"Dude. Haven't you seen the bulge in my pants?" Gladio deadpanned.

A sly grin slipped onto the glaive's face. "I pretended not to notice."

Getting up from the bed, Nyx walked over to his small kitchenette to fetch them some drinks. Gladio knew that was his way of giving him some space to think. Adjusting his position, Gladio lay on his back, staring up at his phone.

He wanted to reply to their conversation, but he needed to choose his words carefully. Just last week, Iggy had been jealous about Gladio and Nyx watching porn together while jerking off. However, maybe he hadn't been jealous of Nyx, but jealous that he hadn't been part of it as well? No, now _Gladio's_ imagination was running wild.

ShieldOfTheChosenOne:  
 _Aegis can be a bit possessive, but with these two, he wouldn't mind sharing - on the contrary._  
 _If Liber ever desires a threesome again, he should just talk to Iucundus and Aegis._  
 _No matter if it's a one-time thing or something to get repeated._

His heart was beating way too fast as he sent the comment. 

"I thought something strong might be needed after that discovery," Nyx explained as he handed Gladio a glass of whiskey.   
"Yes." Thankfully he accepted the glass and sat up, taking a few sips. Since he hadn't eaten much yet, he felt the alcohol going to his head. 

Nyx took the glass back, only setting it down on the nightstand after taking a sip as well.

"Oh my gods, is that the prince?" Nyx sounded amused, and before Gladio could ask what he was talking about, there was a phone held in front of his face.

SkyOfTheNightLight:   
_I'll just pretend to never have read this fanfic or these comments._

Writer0509:  
 _That's okay._  
 _So will I._

It was a typical reaction coming from Noctis. Gladio didn't worry about that. What concerned him, however, was Ignis's reply. "Maybe we pushed him too far."

"Stop these negative thoughts at once, eagle boy," Nyx replied, gaze stern. "He's just shy."

"I hope you're right," Gladio returned with a sigh. "Although I'm feeling greedy."

"For wanting the man you love _and_ the sexiest man on all Eos no one can resist?"   
"If you phrase it like that, I'm already feeling better."   
"Glad to be of service."

They laughed before they finally picked up their pizza again. It was cold by now but still delicious.

Later, Nyx told Gladio about his shared night with Domicella and Crowe. Apparently, these two got along very well in bed. Although, it shouldn't be a surprise with Crowe's dominant and Domicella's submissive nature.

While Gladio listened to Nyx's detailed descriptions of that night, he couldn't help but imagine how a night between him, Nyx, and Ignis would go.

Somehow Gladio had managed to get home Thursday night early enough to catch some sleep before getting up early again on Friday morning.

Finishing the training regimen for the recruits took him longer than expected. Furthermore, he had to admit that there still were a few recruits he hadn't taken a close enough look at. So, he went outside once more, observing their training.

Cor was watching him closely, but he didn't say anything. 

At the end of the day, Gladio had finally finished his task. Most of the other people had already left the Citadel. After going to Cor's office to hand him his results, he was glad to finally leave for the weekend as well. It had been a busy day for him.

And it didn't sit well with him that he had skipped training again. Maybe a short workout at home was in order, although he felt rather tired right now.

Gladio had just arrived home when his phone rang. Iris came running towards him, and he hugged her as he nodded to his father, who watched his children fondly.

Whoever was calling him was very persistent. 

Setting Iris back down, he picked up his phone.

"What is it, Nyx?"  
"I don't know if you've realized it yet, but _you_ wanna go out today," Nyx announced it as if it were an unchangeable statement.  
"I'm not sure about that." 

It was true that Gladio missed going out. Laughing and drinking with friends, dancing, flirting with strangers, and that was the moment he always buried the idea of going out again. Until now, going out had always been connected to picking someone up. He feared, going out without picking someone up wouldn't be as much fun. Or even worse, he might get too drunk and end up in someone else's bed without realizing it. Old habits die hard and all that.

"Well," Nyx's voice pulled him back to reality, "I'm going out tonight. With our little wildcat and pretty boy."  
"What?!" Gladio exclaimed. Nyx going out with Crowe was no surprise, but Ignis was. 

His father and sister stared at him in surprise, so he forced a -hopefully- reassuring smile onto his face. As he went up the stairs to his room, he asked, "How did that happen?"

"I asked him if he wanted to join us," Nyx replied casually, and Gladio pictured him shrugging. "Oh, and you'll love his outfit." 

"And how do you know _that_?" Closing the door to his room behind him after entering, Gladio leaned his back against it.  
"I offered my advice, so he sent me some pics." 

It took a moment until the realization set in. Someone as prim and diligent as Ignis would never send such a picture from his _work_ phone.  
"You've got his private phone number?"   
"You don't?" For once, Nyx sounded surprised.

"No!" Gladio replied, almost hysteric, raking his hand through his hair.  
"Oh, eagle boy." There was pity in the glaive's voice. "Usually, it takes you less than 30 seconds to get someone's phone number."  
"I know, but-"   
Frustration was bubbling up inside of him. Pressing his eyes closed, he tried to will away the negative thoughts coming up from a dark corner of his mind. Nyx was not closer to Ignis than he was. Ignis was not more interested in Nyx than in him.

Walking over to his bed, he flopped down on it, face first. Letting out a loud groan made him feel better.

"Don't pout, eagle boy. Get your ass up and pick out an outfit for tonight," Nyx urged him on, even though Gladio still didn't know if he was in the mood to go out. Right now, he was feeling miserable. However, deep down, he knew that lying here wouldn't make it better. 

His whine got muffled by the cushion beneath his face.  
"Eagle boy," his best friend reprimanded him softly. "Up with you."

Turning around on the bed, Gladio stared at the ceiling of his room, the phone still pressed to his cheek. "When did you get his number?"

A thoughtful hum left Nyx as he had to think about it. "Must have been three weeks ago."  
"That long?!" Gladio did his best not to sound too jealous.  
"The time sure flies by, and you two still aren't together. I'm almost starting to second-guess my abilities as a matchmaker."  
"Wait. What are you two texting about?"  
"Just small things."  
"Nyx." Gladio's tone contained a warning.  
"I'm just giving out advice."  
"Like what?"

A sigh left the glaive as he finally gave in. "That he should stay longer at the prince's place on Fridays. That he should train with you. That he should open more buttons of his shirts. Small things like that. But we don't text that often. Usually, we just talk during magic training."

"Shit," a desperate laugh tumbled from Gladio's lips. All this time, he had thought that _Noct_ had suggested Iggy the new look for their coffee shop not-date last Saturday, but it had been Nyx. 

However, the prince was trying to make Ignis stay on Fridays as well. That much was clear. Gladio really was lucky to have not only one but two friends who did their best to support him in their own ways. 

Yet he couldn't deny that he was a tiny bit disappointed as well. Because now it felt like all these little changes Ignis had made had, in reality, been coming from someone else.

"You're too quiet, eagle boy. Let me add something before you start overthinking everything again. Pretty boy had _asked_ me for advice and help. And even if I'm suggesting things, it's up to him if he follows through with it or not."

"How do you always know the right words to say?" Gladio asked out loud what went through his head.

"Cause I've known you long enough to know what's going on inside that head of yours," Nyx chuckled.  
"Sometimes, you know me even better than I do." There was a fond smile on Gladio's face.

"That's what best friends are for."  
"Thanks, man. Really." Closing his eyes, Gladio lay on his bed with a smile.  
"Aaw, don't go getting sentimental on me now, eagle boy."  
"Sorry."  
"I'll forgive you if you get up and send me a picture of your outfit for tonight."

"Alright, you win." Gladio let out a sigh, already sitting up on his bed. "Where are we going?"   
"Cervisia's bar. We'll meet in two hours."  
"Got it, see you then."  
"I'm waiting for pictures," Nyx replied with an amused voice before Gladio ended the call.

It was a bar they frequented often, and Gladio almost felt bad that he hadn't gone there in such a long time.

Walking over to his wardrobe, he pondered what to wear. He felt like going with his new black leather pants. While they weren't as tight as some other leather clothes were, they still looked badass. At least, in his opinion.

In addition, he picked up a white shirt with a black imprint saying _rock 'n' roll_.

After indulging in a long, hot shower, he dressed up. He had his hair combed back as he took a photo of his outfit in front of the large mirror inside the bathroom.

Sending it to his best friend, he awaited his answer.

Nyx:  
 _Send me one from behind as well. I need to see how your ass looks in these new trousers._

Rolling his eyes, Gladio turned around, holding his phone over his shoulder to take another shot.

Nyx:  
 _Delicious. Keep the leather pants, but change the shirt._

Gladio:  
 _Why?_

Nyx:  
 _Come on, eagle boy._ ಠ_ಠ  
 _A shirt with sleeves when you're going out with pretty boy who clearly loves your tattoo?_

He hated to admit it, but Nyx was probably right. That hadn't been his best decision. 

Going back to his bedroom, he searched his wardrobe for something else. It took him a while as suddenly everything wasn't perfect enough. In the end, he settled on a simple white but tight sleeveless top. Nyx approved, so Gladio trusted his judgment.

There was some time before he had to leave the house, but Gladio felt too restless to concentrate on anything. Therefore, he ended up browsing through social media on his phone after dinner until it was finally time to leave. 

Even though he arrived 15 minutes too early, he spotted Nyx in front of Cervisia's bar already. His friend was wearing knee-length white summer pants together with a close-fitting wine-red shirt. It looked so tight Gladio was waiting for the seams to burst because of the pressure from these muscles.

Yet before he could worry more about the state of Nyx's shirt, his gaze fell on the man standing next to him.

His brain had taken a moment to recognize him, but this attractive man with the spiked up hair was, in fact, Ignis.

Feeling his heart rate speed up, Gladio stopped in his tracks, staring at the man of his dreams. He had always thought that Ignis couldn't be more perfect, but here he was with his hair spiked up, his forehead visible for once. And somehow, it now felt as if the other had always been hiding behind his hair up until now.

But the new hairstyle wasn't the only thing that caught Gladio's eyes. Ignis was wearing a pastel-green dress shirt that almost had the same color as his eyes. Unfortunately, he didn't have any buttons unbuttoned like last Saturday at the coffee shop. However, he had at least his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, showing his muscular underarms. Furthermore, the shirt wasn't put into his trousers like usual, but casually hanging down.

And these trousers.

Gladio gulped. Ignis was in black leather pants like Gladio. But unlike his own pants, Ignis's were shiny and as tight as they could be. 

They hadn't spotted him yet as he stood there awestruck by the beauty of his love interest.

"Pretty boy." To his surprise, Nyx's words had sounded like a reprimand, his arms crossed.  
"Are you sure that wouldn't be," Ignis stopped shortly, "too much?"  
"Do you trust me or not?"

Biting his lip, Ignis hesitated for another moment. Then, he unbuttoned two buttons at the bottom of his shirt before his hands went up to unbutton the top two buttons as well. By now, there were only three buttons closed, and Gladio couldn't help but continue to stare. 

"What'cha waiting for?" Crowe's voice, along with a slap against his back, brought him back to reality. She had her hair messily tied up with a black hair tie and was wearing black leather boots, blue denim hot pants, and a black sleeveless top. Gladio couldn't deny that she looked as hot as always.

After her remark Nyx and Ignis had looked up, finally spotting him as well. Ignis's eyes flickered to Crowe for a moment before he averted his gaze again.

"Ah, you two haven't met before, right?" Gladio said as they all stood together in a small group. "Let me introduce-"  
"We know each other," Ignis interrupted him.  
"Oh. When did that happen?"  
"There's no need to tell you," the advisor replied, clearly in a bad mood - for whatever reason.

"I would have told you," Crowe mentioned with a shrug, "but you've heard the guy."

"Okay, pretty guy," Nyx said with a sigh, putting his arm around Ignis's shoulders. The advisor tried to escape from his clutches, but the glaive didn't let go. "Let's get you something to drink before you turn into _grumpy boy_ again."  
"I'm not-"  
"Hust, pretty boy," Nyx interrupted him, and Gladio almost dropped his jaw when Ignis complied, walking inside the bar with Nyx's arm around him. Since when did these two get along so well?

"Eos to Gladio, you still there?" Blinking, Gladio noticed Crowe waving her hand in front of his eyes.  
"Huh? Yeah," he replied.  
"Surprised how hot Ignis looks tonight?" She called out his thoughts, nudging him with her elbow.   
"Uh, a bit, yeah." Admitting that much wouldn't tell her too much. Gladio still didn't feel like shouting his feelings out to the world - for Ignis's sake. Somehow, he feared that Ignis would feel bothered or pressured by it.  
"I always knew he was hot," she answered with a smirk that Gladio couldn't quite interpret.

After being rooted to the spot for way too long, Gladio eventually followed the others inside the bar. Nyx was already over at the bar counter, introducing Cervisia and Ignis. Nyx and Cervisia had known each other for years. In the beginning, Cervisia had only worked as a waiter, but they had always dreamed big, wanting to own their own bar - and somehow, they had managed to achieve that dream. 

Gladio really liked it here. The main room was large. The bar counter was located at the wall opposite the entrance door. At the sides of the room were not only tables to sit down at, but also a few high tables to stand at. 

On the right side of the room, there was also a small stage, where sometimes live music was played. Cervisia always gave yet unknown bands and singers a chance to stand in the spotlight. The room was large enough to have a small dance floor as well, yet the real dancing got done next door.

The second room felt more like a club or discotheque. But that had always been what Gladio loved about this place: It was a bar with good alcohol and the perfect place to hang out with friends or pick up conversations with strangers. But it also had the dance room with loud music and sweaty bodies, that more than once had led to a quickie in the back road.

Gladio shook his head. He was drifting off to memories. Today wasn't about any quickies: after all, he was here with Ignis.

Catching up with the others, Gladio greeted Cervisia. Their beautifully painted face lit up in joy as they spotted Gladio. It really had been way too many weeks since he had last been here. Complimenting Cervisia on their purple dress -self-made as they added proudly- that perfectly complemented their muscular chest, Gladio promised to come by more often again.

After ordering and picking up their drinks -wine for Ignis, beer for the others- they walked over to one of the high tables. They weren't big, but Gladio had always liked the dark wood. Ignis came to a halt at Gladio's left side while Crowe took her place to Gladio's right.

Since there was no live music yet, they could still talk without screaming at each other, although the place still was rather crowded. However, that wasn't a rarity for a Friday night at Cervisia's bar.

"Gladiolus?" Ignis, standing to his left, called out a bit hesitantly as if he wouldn't get Gladio's attention all the time anyway.   
"Yeah?"  
"I still need to thank you for attending these meetings yesterday. Your notes were of great assistance when-"  
"Whoa, whoa, stop!" Crowe interrupted them before Gladio could reply. "We're here to have fun! Talking about work is forbidden!"

A bit annoyed, Gladio turned his head to the right, staring at Crowe. He knew she meant no harm, but it felt like losing an opportunity to talk to Ignis. 

"My apologies," the advisor returned, politely before he lifted up his glass to take a sip from his white wine.

"There's nothing to worry about," Nyx mentioned way too smugly. "This night _will_ be fun."

"I hope _Libertus_ will finally have some fun tonight," Crowe added, emptying half of her beer bottle in one go before she loudly placed it back on the table. "If not, I might have to strangle that woman."

"He has a date tonight," Nyx explained as he noticed Gladio's confused look from across the table.   
"With?" Gladio pried.  
"A cute girl," his best friend replied at the same time as Crowe spit out, "a hag!"

"You jealous of her or what?" Gladio asked even though he should have known that that question would earn him a slap against his upper arm.  
"No, you big idiot!" Crowe shouted. "Don't make this weird. You know Libertus and I are like siblings!"

With a laugh, he rubbed his arm. Even if it was playful, Crowe always used too much strength with her blows.  
"Then what does his little sister have against this apparently cute girl," he inquired, using Nyx's description of this unknown woman.  
"She _is_ cute," the female glaive emphasized, "but I think she's only playing with him."

No matter how harsh Crowe always appeared to be, deep down, she cared about the people close to her. Especially when it came to Libertus. She had always been protective of her _big brother_.

"How did you come to that conclusion?" Ignis asked, his hands lying on the table, his forefinger tracing the base of his wine glass.

"They met two weeks ago, right here. They talked, flirted, and exchanged phone numbers. Libertus has been a love-sick fool since then," she huffed, but for a short moment, there was a fond smile on her face. She wanted Libertus to be happy. "Last week, she was here with some friends, and they flirted again. But that's it. Otherwise, they haven't seen each other. They are texting and flirting, but she never agreed to meet him alone."

"It's only been two weeks," Nyx reminded her helpfully, but a scowl darkened her face.   
"I wouldn't wait so long for someone who's just playing hard to get." In her anger, she emptied her beer bottle.

Gladio hadn't missed the way Ignis had flinched and was now chewing on his bottom lip, looking down at his wine glass.   
"For someone who is worth it, I'd wait," Gladio said firm but softly.  
"You've always been such a hopeless romantic," Crowe replied, rolling her eyes. "I'm not saying they should fuck after just meeting each other if they are not feeling up to it yet. But she could at least meet him alone, go on dates, kiss him, and whatever," she huffed, crossing her arms.

"Well, they have a date today," Nyx reminded her.   
"That was about time," Crowe replied grumpily. "Hopefully, she isn't only leading him on because of a stupid bet or whatever."

Ignis was tense. The fingers of his left hand turned white from the pressure while he gripped the stem of his wine glass. His right hand had left the table, his arm stiffly pressed against the side of his body.

"She might have a reason to wait," Gladio tried to add helpfully, but it was like adding fuel to the fire.  
"Bullshit!" Crowe exclaimed, slamming her fists down on the table, causing it to shake.

Ignis bit his bottom lip, holding the stem of his wine glass even tighter. Gladio was afraid it might break under the advisor's strong fingers.

With a chuckle, Nyx looked at Crowe. "Calm down, kitty cat."   
If Gladio had added fuel to the fire, Nyx had walked right into an explosion. The slap that she placed on his shoulder was so loud, Gladio flinched as well. That must have hurt, but his best friend only laughed. The two glaives always had had that sort of relationship. Crowe kept slapping and punching him to let out her frustration and anger while Nyx took it with a smile.

Out of nowhere, Gladio suddenly felt the back of Ignis's hand graze against his beneath the table. At first, he thought it was merely a coincidence. The table wasn't large, and they all stood close to each other. But when he looked to his left, he noticed that Ignis must have taken a step closer to him. 

Once again, he felt the warmth of the advisor's hand against his own. Ignoring the two glaives who were still off to their own little world, Gladio searched Ignis's face for any hint, but there was none. The other was still tensely staring at his wine glass. 

Not sure if he was getting the message right, Gladio went for it anyway. Slowly so he wouldn't scare him off, Gladio moved his hand around Ignis's until they eventually intertwined their fingers. 

Ignis took in a ragged breath, his eyes widening in surprise before he let out a sigh, closing his eyes shortly. When Ignis squeezed his hand, a dopey smile found its way to Gladio's face. The other had looked at him for a short moment before he picked up his wine glass to take a few sips. He was shy.

Somehow that made Gladio smile even more as his thumb caressed the soft skin of Ignis's warm hand. He was already glad Nyx had convinced him to go out this night.

"What's that stupid grin for?" Crowe asked, and Ignis let go of his hand at once.   
"Just happy," Gladio replied, still smiling even though his hand already missed Ignis's warmth.  
"Whatever," she huffed. "I'll get us another round, so drink up until I'm back!"

Before any of them could respond, she had already disappeared, pushing her way through the crowd towards the bar counter.

It didn't even take five seconds until someone else took Crowe's place at their table.  
"Hi," the new guy said, his eyes traveling down to Ignis's chest before he looked up to his face again. 

Gladio already felt jealousy flaring up inside of him.  
"Good evening," Ignis replied respectfully.   
Slapping a hand against his own mouth, Nyx tried to stifle a chuckle from leaving his lips.

Just like Ignis, Gladio was watching the man. He hated to admit it, but he looked good, _wild_. He had short black hair and was wearing a very loose top, showing so much of his chest, his nipple was almost visible. There was a dragon tattooed across his chest and neck. 

Taking in a sharp breath, Gladio decided to observe the situation for now.

"Well, well, haven't seen _you_ here before," the guy said before he took a sip from his beer, lasciviously tracing the rim of the bottle, showing off his tongue piercing.

"Oh, it's my first time here tonight," Ignis explained politely, but his eyes had flicked towards the piercing.   
"Your _first time_ , huh?" The guy repeated, his lips and teeth playing with his piercing.

Nyx was still hiding half of his face beneath the hand pressed against his mouth, but Gladio could see it in his eyes that he was so close to bursting out laughing. 

"Yes, so I've said," Ignis confirmed, his eyes following the movements of the piercing.

Gladio was conflicted. It was adorable how unaware Ignis was, but Gladio still was jealous that another guy flirted with his love interest while he stood right next to them.

"Like what you see?" The guy asked with a smirk that rivaled Nyx's.  
"I beg your pardon?" Ignis asked with a frown.

"He's hitting on you," Nyx mentioned helpfully, making the guy laugh as Ignis's eyes widened in realization.  
"You hadn't noticed?" The guy asked with a chuckle. "That's _so cute_."

"Oh, I," Ignis averted his gaze shortly, gathering his thoughts. "My apologies."  
"Don't worry! I like that innocence," the man winked.  
It wasn't often that Ignis was lost for words, but he was now. A faint blush had found its way to his cheeks as he suddenly grabbed his glass to empty the remaining wine in one go.

The guy whistled approvingly.   
"Wanna go somewhere else now that your glass is empty?"  
"No," Ignis replied shortly, averting his gaze.  
"Oh, no need to be shy. I could buy you another drink?" The guy suggested, and Gladio suddenly felt possessive. As if he would Ignis let go away with this guy. 

Yet then again: If Ignis _wanted_ to go-

Gladio's thoughts stopped as soon as he felt two hands grabbing his arm. Ignis was clinging to him, trying to hide behind his broad frame. 

Turning around to face the guy, he felt Ignis's hands grabbing the back of his shirts. 

"Sorry, man. He said _no_."

The guy eyed Gladio from top to bottom before his smirk widened. "You could join us."

Feeling Ignis's hands flinch against his back, Gladio wasn't sure if it was out of surprise or out of interest. Sometimes, he just didn't know if Ignis was shy yet curious or not. 

"Sorry," Gladio just repeated since he really did feel sorry for the guy. He was attractive and hadn't done anything wrong - except for flirting up the wrong people.  
"Alright, I give up," the guy eventually answered. "Have fun."  
"You too," Nyx replied sincerely. 

"My apologies," Ignis mumbled as he let go of Gladio's shirt, placing his hands back on the table with a sigh.  
"Not interested in living out some," Nyx licked his lips, " _forbidding fantasies_?"

Taking in a sharp breath, Gladio looked at Ignis. Of course, he hadn't missed either that Nyx had brought up the title of Ignis's latest fanfiction. While nibbling on his bottom lip, Ignis's eyes drifted towards Nyx more than once before he eventually whispered his reply.  
"Not with _him_."

Heat was flaring up in Gladio's stomach. But this time, it wasn't caused by jealousy but by interest.

Yet before they could further explore the topic, Crowe came back with their drinks.   
"Okay, who of you three sex bombs had attracted that dude?"  
"Pretty boy," Nyx replied with a smile, making Ignis flustered while reaching for his new glass of wine.

"Not your type?" she asked him.  
"Well," Ignis started to reply but took a sip from his wine instead.  
"Eh, I didn't like him either. Looked too arrogant," Crowe returned, shrugging her shoulders. " _That guy_ looks better," she suddenly said, pointing towards a guy behind Ignis. "The blond with the tied-up hair and the three-day beard."

They all turned around to watch the guy.  
"Hm, 8 out of 10," Nyx replied with a shrug.  
"Aw, really?" Crowe frowned. "He's a 9 for me. What do you think?"

Knowing there was no way around it, Gladio gave in. Crowe always liked to play some kind of game at the bar.   
"He looks mature but still kinda wild," Gladio observed. "That makes him interesting enough for an 8.5."

Ignis looked at him in surprise, but when Gladio met his eyes, he averted his gaze again.   
"Iggy?" Crowe asked, and Gladio was a bit surprised she used his nickname, and even more that Ignis didn't seem to be bothered by it.  
"I don't know," he mumbled but kept staring at the guy as if he tried to rate him anyway.  
"I'll try to help. What do you think about blond hair?"  
"I don't know," Ignis repeated, but Crowe didn't give up.  
"He has long hair. Is that good or bad?"  
"Good?" Ignis asked as if he wasn't sure himself.  
"His muscles?"  
"Not enough," he admitted, making Gladio sit up and take notice.  
"Three-day beard?" Crowe continued to ask.  
"Okay."  
"His face overall?"  
"He has a nice smile."  
"His body overall?"  
"Okay?"  
"Sounds like 7 out of 10," Crowe concluded eventually. "Show us someone who looks better."

Ignis was a bit taken aback by the suggestion, but apparently, he had noticed as well that there was no way to stop Crowe from playing this game.  
"I'm bad at this," he mumbled after letting his eyes wander over the crowd.

"You can do it if you try. There's no need to be shy," Crowe encouraged him. Sipping on his beer, Gladio silently watched their exchange. Somehow, he was glad Crowe had this playful nature. He was curious about Ignis's taste in men.

"Maybe that black-haired guy with the black shirt and the tattooed arm?" Ignis asked after a while, and they all turned towards the guy.

"Huh, not bad. 8.5 I'd say," Crowe replied with a whistle.  
"I agree," Ignis admitted.  
"Eh, sorry to disappoint you, but he's only a 6," Nyx suddenly interrupted them. "I've had him once, and he hadn't delivered what he'd promised."  
"We're not rating how he fucks but how he looks, hero," Crowe nudged him with his elbow.  
"I'll stick to 6," Nyx replied adamantly.  
"7 for me," Gladio added.  
"Why?" Ignis asked, and Gladio was surprised that the other was interested in his opinion.  
"Well, he doesn't look bad, but somehow there is nothing special about him for me," he explained with a shrug. There was no resemblance to Ignis.

"What about the brunette with the red top over there?" Crowe asked, nodding towards her.  
"That's _a woman_ ," Ignis huffed, and she burst out laughing.   
"But she has nice hips," she offered, still chuckling.  
"Doesn't need a woman to have nice hips," Ignis muttered as he took a sip from his wine.  
"True. _You_ have nice hips as well, pretty boy," Nyx mentioned with a sultry voice.   
Flustered, Ignis took another sip from his wine.

"She has fine hips, and she looks flexible. I like that! 9 out of 10," Gladio admitted with a grin. He had always thought that Ignis must be flexible in bed as well. At least, his fighting style promised that. Taking a swig from his bottle, he awaited the ratings of the others.  
"I agree with you," Crowe said. "And I like her boobs. Not too small, but not too large either."  
"Hm, not more than 7," Nyx replied, a bit disappointed. "She looks cheap."  
Crowe only snorted but watched Ignis, awaiting his rating.  
"Still a woman. No points from me," he replied dryly, making Gladio and Crowe chuckle.

"Okay, hero," Crowe nudged the other glaive with her elbow. "You're oddly uninterested today. Who looks nice, in your opinion?"  
"Well, maybe that 9.5 that keeps making eye contact with me," Nyx replied smugly, winking towards someone. "Excuse me for a moment."

They all turned around to watch Nyx leave for the toilets, followed by a tall blond man around the same age.

"He isn't going to do what I think he is, is he?" Ignis said more to himself, but Crowe replied anyway.  
"If you think he's getting his dick sucked by that guy, then yes: He is doing what you think."  
"How do you know it's not the other way around?"  
Gladio was a bit surprised that Ignis explored that topic further. He was even more surprised when he noticed the advisor watching his already empty wine glass with a frown. He hadn't expected Ignis to be such a quick drinker.

"Eh, Nyx just had this authoritative aura around him today," Crowe replied casually.  
"Did he?" The advisor looked up in surprise.  
"Yup," Gladio confirmed. "He wouldn't go down on his knees today."

"Well, _I_ could still get him to go down on me," Crowe suddenly mentioned, a challenging gaze on her face.  
"Me too, if I wanted him to," Gladio replied, never backing down from a challenge.  
"Yet even though you say that, you haven't been with him for a while," she stated, her gaze sharp. She had set that trap for Gladio, and he had fallen right into it.  
"That's true," he simply admitted, trying to shrug off the topic.  
"Wanna tell me why?"  
"No," he responded, emptying his beer.  
"Why not?"  
"Since you're not the right person asking."

He couldn't blame her for the confused glance she gave him. His answer had been too vague, but he wasn't in the mood to explore that any further.

Just like he had written in his fanfiction about Aegis that, ' _He would wait for Liber to ask why he had stopped dating,'_ Gladio would wait for Ignis.

"I'll get us new drinks," he said, already picking up the empty glasses and bottles.  
"Avoiding the topic?" Crowe asked.  
"Another beer or something else?" Gladio merely replied.  
"Caipirinha," she huffed, finally giving up.  
"Wanna try a cocktail as well?" Gladio asked Ignis.  
"I'm not sure," the advisor mumbled, absorbed in his thoughts.  
"I'll bring you something nice." And with these words, he went off towards the bar counter.

Once he arrived, he took a deep breath.  
"What's wrong, darling?" Cervisia asked him worriedly.   
"Ah, it's alright." He shook his head. It had been an enjoyable evening so far. "Two beers, a Caipi, and a Tequila Sunrise, please."  
"Alright, darling," Cervisia replied with a wink and started to mix their cocktails. "Mind if I ask if he is the one?"  
"What?" Gladio blinked in confusion.  
"You haven't shown up here for weeks, and now there is this elegant but sexy glasses guy with you." There was a fond smile on their face. "He's the one you always pined after when you were drunk, right?"

Clearing his throat, Gladio averted his gaze shortly. Cervisia had always been sharp. And it wasn't a lie that Gladio had, more than once, purred out his heart when he had sat at this bar counter, way too drunk.

"Don't tell anyone," he whispered.  
"Oh! I won't, darling! These beautiful lips are sealed," they replied with another wink. "So, already got him?"  
"Not yet."  
"But it's going well?"  
"Better than ever before," he replied with a smile as he remembered the short moment he had hold hands with Ignis today.  
"I'm so happy for you, darling," Cervisia responded, a fond smile on their face. Placing the drinks on the counter with an encouraging look, they nodded at him.  
"Thanks," he replied with a smile as well.

It wasn't easy to get back to their table without spilling any of their drinks, but he eventually managed. Once he arrived, Crowe immediately caught his attention. "Gladio, you won't believe it!"  
"Believe what?" He asked as he set the drinks down on the table. After sliding the cocktails towards Crowe and Ignis, he placed one beer bottle on Nyx's still empty place.

"Iggy has never received a blowjob at the toilet of a bar!" Crowe exclaimed, and Ignis averted his gaze, looking a bit uncomfortable.  
"Well, I believe that," Gladio replied carefully. Ignis wasn't the type for a quickie at a bar.  
"I never would have expected that," she replied, taking a sip from her cocktail. 

Even though he was curious what these two had been talking about, he ignored her for now. Instead, he looked at Ignis.

"That's a Tequila Sunrise. I thought you might like the mix: Tequila, sweet oranges, sour lemons, grenadine."

Ignis meticulously eyed the drink as if he was analyzing it before he eventually took a sip; then another as he pulled the drinking straw a bit higher.  
"I like it," he admitted, and Gladio smiled.

He was glad he had made the right choice. If he was honest with himself, he was in the mood for another drink as well. But, somehow, it felt like a bad idea to get drunk tonight, so he stuck to beer.

"Guys!" Crowe suddenly exclaimed, and Gladio knew that sparkle in her eyes. She had had an idea. "There might be more we don't know about Iggy yet! Let's play never have I ever!"

"Aren't we too old for that?" Ignis asked, pulling up an eyebrow.   
"You're never too old for that! And it's fun with someone new in the group," she replied cheerfully.  
"Did someone say _fun_? I'm in," Nyx stated smugly as he casually took his place at the table again, emptying the rest of his old beer.

"Do you know the rules?" Crowe asked Ignis, outright ignoring Nyx.  
"Of course. One person states something they have never done before, and the others have to take a drink if they _have_ done it,"  
Ignis explained as perfectly as if he wanted to prove something.

Wondering if Ignis had played that game before or simply heard about it, Gladio was getting eager to get started. It was just another one of these silly party games Crowe liked, but it was an opportunity to learn a thing or two about Ignis - and Gladio wouldn't let this chance pass.

"We have another rule," Crowe added with a smirk. "If you say something no one else has done, _you_ have to drink."  
"Alright," Ignis agreed.  
"Great. So," there was a smile on Crowe's lips, "never have I ever had a threesome with two other women."

Gladio took a sip.  
"I thought you wanted to learn more about _Iggy_ ," he mentioned with a snort as Nyx took a sip from the new beer Gladio had brought him.  
"Ah, can't pass on an opportunity to tease you two a bit," she chuckled.  
"Alright then," Gladio smirked since he was the next in line. "Never have I ever had a threesome on a Monday."

"Oh, come on!" Nyx and Crowe complained at the same time as they both had to take a sip.

Pulling up an eyebrow, Ignis watched the playful teasing.   
"Never have I ever had a threesome with two other men."  
"I like how you play," Crowe replied, a challenging gaze on her face as she took a sip from her drink.  
"I don't even have to place the bottle back down during these games," Nyx noted as he took another sip.

Grabbing his bottle, Gladio suddenly stopped. He blinked at his beer.  
"What'cha waiting for?" Crowe asked, but Gladio only frowned.  
"I've never had a threesome with two other guys," he frowned at the realization. Ignis stared at him in surprise.  
"You're kidding me, right?" Crowe asked.  
"No. It's always been two women, or a man and a woman."  
"Oh, oh, oh. You've missed something!" She replied with a grin.  
"We _have_ to change that one day," Nyx mentioned with a smirk, winking at Ignis, who only blushed.

"Never have I ever," Nyx hummed thoughtfully before his eyes sparked up with an idea, "written out my dirty thoughts somewhere else than in private text messages."

"Where else would you-" Crowe began asking in confusion until she noticed Ignis taking a sip. " _Gods_ , there is a secret I don't know, isn't there?"  
"Please don't ask," the advisor mumbled.  
"Oh, if we ever play _truth or dare_ , I _will_ ask," the female glaive promised. "Anyway. Never have I ever watched a porn movie from the beginning to the end."

A sigh left his best friend as he picked up his beer. Clinking his bottle with Gladio's, they both drank from their beer. Crowe knew that they sometimes watched porn together. Ignis wasn't surprised either after last week's events. And, of course, Ignis didn't have to take a drink.

Pondering what to ask next, Gladio realized that this wasn't easy. He wanted to learn more about Ignis, but he could only talk about stuff he hadn't done either. That made it kind of difficult. "Never have I ever rimmed someone." 

"If I get too drunk, someone of you has to take me home," Nyx mentioned as he took another sip from his beer.  
"It's not our fault you're putting your tongue _everywhere_ ," Crowe retorted.  
"Didn't hear _you_ complaining about it last time," he replied smugly, wiggling his eyebrows.  
"Shut up," she crossed her arms, a rare blush gracing her cheeks.

Once they were quiet again, Ignis spoke up, almost a bit timidly. "Never have I ever drunk so much that I had to vomit."

The other three groaned as they had to drink again.   
"My bottle is already empty," Nyx stated with a sigh.  
"I'll get us new drinks while you think about anything you haven't done yet," Crowe suggested, leaving the table at once.

"This really isn't easy if you have done as much as me," Nyx admitted, his arms crossed as he thought about it.  
"Surely there are some things even you haven't done before," Ignis uttered, trying to help.  
"Yeah, of course. But it has to be something one of you _has_ done. Or else I'll end up drinking again."  
"Oh, you're right," the advisor replied.   
"It's easy for you, isn't it?" Nyx noted.  
"So far, yes," he confirmed, making the glaive sigh.

"I had no idea you two were getting along so well," Gladio muttered his thoughts without thinking.  
"Oh, eagle boy. You jealous?"  
"What? No," he frowned.  
Ignis chuckled. "Well, Nyx is a pleasant company."  
" _Aaw_ , I'm feeling flattered, pretty boy!"

Gladio couldn't deny that that was high praise coming from Ignis. The advisor kept almost all people at a distance, but Nyx had found a way into his personal bubble. The smile on Ignis's face was beautiful, and Gladio was relieved that Ignis seemed to enjoy himself tonight. His cheeks were just a tiny bit red, and Gladio wondered if it was because of the alcohol.

When Crowe got back, she placed the same choices of drinks on the table as before. She had brought another Tequila Sunrise for Ignis as well, even though his glass was only half empty.

"Alright, hero! What have you come up with?"  
There was a grin on his face as he looked at Crowe. "Never have I ever had two cocks inside my lower regions at once."  
She huffed. "But only because you have only one hole down there." She took a sip from her new Caipirinha.

"Ah, some people don't get stopped by that," Nyx mentioned with a shrug.  
"Sounds painful," Ignis muttered.  
"It depends," Nyx hummed thoughtfully. "With enough preparation and lube, it might go well. If you aren't pairing up with guys that have massive dicks."  
"Like Gladio."  
"Crowe!" Gladio exclaimed.  
"What? Is it a secret that your dick matches the proportions of your body?" Crowe laughed.  
"Does it?" Ignis asked, his cheeks a bit redder than before.  
"It does," Nyx confirmed.

With a hum, Ignis watched him, and Gladio felt his cheeks flaring up. Why was he so embarrassed about this all of a sudden? And since when did Ignis talk about this stuff and stare at him like that? Maybe he was already tipsy. As far as Gladio knew, the other rarely drank alcohol.

"Alright, guys. Iggy isn't drinking enough. We've gotta change that," Crowe announced. The grin on her lips already told that she had come up with an idea. "Never have I ever talked about sex with the prince."

Ignis took in a sharp breath, blushing as he emptied the remaining half of his first cocktail in one go.   
"Ha! I knew it!" Crowe was cheering while Gladio only took a small sip from his bottle. It had been a wise decision to stick to beer tonight. If Ignis continued like this, he would be more than tipsy, and Gladio would regret missing that because of being too inebriated.

Only as everyone stared at him, Gladio realized that it was his turn again, and he hadn't thought up anything yet. He still wished to learn some dirty secrets about Ignis, but it had to be something Gladio hadn't done yet.   
"Never have I ever walked around wearing a butt plug."

They all looked at each other, but no one took a drink.  
"Are you being honest, hero?" Crowe asked, eyeing him sharply. "I've seen your toy collection."  
"Well, I do own a butt plug. And I've used it," Nyx grinned with a smug as he went into further details, "while sitting down or lying in bed. But now I'm curious. I should try wearing it while walking."  
"I knew you'd say that," she replied.  
Nyx shrugged. "I like trying new stuff."

With a sigh, Gladio took a sip from his beer. So much about not getting drunk and learning more about Ignis. 

"Never have I ever had an orgasm at the Citadel," the advisor mentioned, causing everyone to groan before taking a drink.  
" _Dear Six_ ," Ignis muttered, taking in a sharp breath. Gladio wasn't sure if the other was judging them for it or not. But before he could ask, Nyx was already throwing out the next statement.

"Never have I ever had dirty thoughts about my magic teacher during practice."  
Iggy glared at him but took a drink anyway.   
"Ooh!" Crowe cheered, a knowing smirk on her face as he looked from Ignis to Nyx and back. "I understand why you desire him, Iggy, but let me give you one piece of advice: Don't fall for him. That playboy will only break your heart."  
"Hey, I could be serious about someone if I wanted to," Nyx complained.  
"Don't worry, Crowe. My heart already belongs to someone else," Ignis replied, and Gladio almost fainted when he felt Ignis squeezing his hand beneath the table once again. It had only been short, but he hadn't missed it. A blush was rising to his cheeks as it suddenly felt way too hot inside this stiffy bar room.

"Who was your magic teacher?" Ignis asked the glaives. He had taken his hand back again, his arms crossed as he leaned against the table, his weight placed on one leg. The position, along with these tight black leather pants, made his ass stand out even more. Gladio caught himself staring.

"A stuffy old guy that retired a few years later. Nothing about him was sexy," Nyx replied with a shrug while Crowe nodded in agreement.

"Never have I ever," Crowe started, and Gladio finally averted his gaze from Ignis's rear again, "been fucked by someone with a strap-on."  
"You want me to get drunk, don't you?" Nyx huffed.  
"Will take a while when you're only drinking beer," Crowe replied.

"Tsk," Ignis clicked his tongue as he leaned down to take a sip from his straw without having to pick up the glass.

Gladio and Nyx stared at him. A blush found its way to Ignis's face as he took another sip.  
"I want details," Nyx stated, and Gladio nodded, once again grateful for his best friend's curiosity.  
"What a pity that you won't get any," Ignis replied with a grin.   
"Someone gets bratty when he's drunk," Nyx returned in surprise.  
"I'm merely being honest while being a tad inebriated," the advisor corrected him.

"I like that side of him. Come on, Gladio! Say something to make him drink more," Crowe urged him on, and they all looked at him expectantly.

Feeling too much pressure on him, he blurted out the first thing that came to his mind. "Never have I ever masturbated while reading a book."  
"Nice try," Ignis replied, a wicked grin on his face as he didn't move towards his drink.  
"Dammit," Gladio cursed as he had to drink now since no one else had done it.  
"Boring," Crowe said with a pout before she called over one of the few waiters, ordering another round of drinks.

"Never have I ever had a quickie at a bar," Ignis stated smugly, and Nyx laughed before they all took a drink.  
"Iggy knows how to play this game," Crowe mentioned appreciatingly. The advisor chuckled, shifting his weight from one leg to the other, and Gladio's gaze went back to his ass, framed by this pastel-green dress shirt.

"Never have I ever masturbated in my friend's bathroom," Nyx said before he added, "Sorry, eagle boy."  
With a huff, Gladio took the last sip from his bottle.

Nyx was watching Ignis expectantly, but the advisor only pulled up an eyebrow.  
"Ah, too bad," the glaive replied, "I thought it might have happened once. At the prince's apartment?"  
"No," Ignis emphasized. "Not at Noct's apartment, not at the Citadel, not at a bar."  
"The question is," Crowe leaned forward in interest. "Did it happen somewhere else or not at all?"

There was a smug grin on Ignis's face as he playfully shrugged his shoulder. "You might find it out," he shifted the weight of his legs again, winking at Gladio as he noticed him staring, "or not."

_Sweet Shiva!_

Gladio buried his face in his hands. He had no idea that tipsy Ignis would be so flirty.

The waiter came to their table, bringing them the next round of drinks. By now, Gladio wasn't even sure if that was his fourth or fifth beer now. Maybe he should stop soon. And maybe, someone should stop Ignis. But there was such a happy smile on his face as he drunk up his cocktail to hand the waiter the empty glass. Fondly he put his hands around the new glass.

"Never have I ever had a _best_ friend with benefits," Crowe said smugly, bug Nyx threw her a skeptical gaze. "Nuh-uh, hero. Don't give me that look. You have benefits, but you aren't my best friend. Libertus is my best friend, but without benefits."

Rolling his eyes, Nyx gave in, clinking his bottle with Gladio's. "To me, and my best friend with benefits!"  
"You don't have to drink?" Crowe asked Ignis with a pout.  
"Why would I?"  
"I don't know. Maybe you and the prince-"  
"Absolutely not."  
"Boring," she replied, looking expectantly at Gladio. "Give us a good one!"

"Never have I ever," Gladio stopped momentarily, his gaze wandering towards Ignis, "moaned someone's name while masturbating."

Ignis's eyes widened in surprise as the blush on his cheeks deepened, and he leaned down to take a sip from his cocktail. Gladio gulped, wondering if Ignis was as vocal in bed as Nyx was. He had always enjoyed it when his partner was making their pleasure known through sounds.

Crowe teasingly nudged Nyx with her shoulder. "Of course, you won't even shut up when you're on your own."  
"It would be a waste not to listen to my own sexy voice," the glaive replied sincerely, causing Crowe to roll her eyes.

Gladio noticed that Ignis had gotten quiet all of a sudden, nibbling on his bottom lip. Wondering why the other suddenly was lost in his thoughts, he called out to him. "Iggy?"

"Oh, um," he stuttered, for once lost for words.  
"Can't think of anything juicy anymore to get us to drink?" Crowe replied, already smiling triumphantly.  
"Never have I ever," Ignis started to say, avoiding their eyes as he stared at his drink, "said, _'I love you,'_ only to get laid."

"That's deep," Gladio muttered in surprise.  
"My apologies." Ignis tightened his grip on his glass.

Grimacing, Crowe took a sip from her Caipirinha. "Let me add that I regret it! I was young, stupid, and needy."  
"I don't know that story," Nyx uttered in surprise.  
"Ah, not much to tell," she sighed but started talking anything. "Made a stupid bet with some other girls about who could score with the most guys in two weeks. Some were easier to get into bed if you talked about love at first sight. Now I know that was stupid."

"Is that why you are so worried about Libertus?" Nyx asked softly, hitting the nail on the head.  
"Yeah, cause I know what stupid bets stupid girls make: Getting guys into bed, getting guys to tell them they love them first, dating many different guys at once. And no, I have _not_ done all that," she sighed, "but I've heard about it."

"Don't worry. Usually, Libertus has a good insight into human nature. He would notice if she wasn't serious," Nyx reminded her.  
"I know," she sighed again. "I need a drink now. Say something."

Nyx chuckled. "Never have I ever fallen asleep during sex."  
"It's not my fault that guy had been so boring!" Crowe complained but greedily took a drink.  
"Which guy?" Gladio asked curiously.  
"Eh, don't remember much about him. I think it was two years ago. We were both kinda drunk after a party, and I went home with him in the morning. He wasn't that bad, but it was a constant slow in and out, so I eventually fell asleep."

Waves of laughter tumbled from Gladio's lips. "That must have hurt his ego!"  
"If he wasn't too drunk to even notice," Crowe added with a snort.

Side-eyeing Ignis, Gladio noticed that he was once again quiet, playing with his bottom lip. Gladio wasn't sure where this sudden change had come from. He had liked the flirty, tipsy Iggy more. Maybe he'd had too much alcohol now, and it was getting to him?

"Oh, it's my turn," Crowe piped up. "Never have I ever faked an orgasm during sex."  
Letting his gaze wander around the table, Gladio noticed that no one took a drink.   
"Yeah, men probably don't have that problem anyway," she noted, taking another sip from her cocktail.

Glad that it was finally his turn again, Gladio uttered the statement that had been on his mind for a few minutes now. "Never have I ever ridden a sex toy."

"Wait," Nyx said, taking a sip from his beer. "You don't have something with a suction cup?"   
"Nope," Gladio confirmed, blushing as he noticed Ignis drinking from his cocktail. Ignis had done that? Gladio had to stop his imagination from running wild here and now.

"I'll get you one," Nyx promised suddenly, "you prefer vibrators over dildos, right?"   
Before Gladio could answer, Crowe spoke up. "There are _vibrators_ with suction cups?"  
"Yes," Ignis replied with a dopey grin on his face. 

_Astrals._ Iggy probably had one and remembered using it right now. Gladio was getting hot again.

"You should buy one, Crowe," Nyx suggested. "It's really nice."   
"Wait, hero. You'll get one for Gladio but not for me?" She complained.  
"I'm only buying sex toys for my _best_ friend," he teased her.  
"What's so great about that, anyway? Compared to a normal vibrator," Gladio asked since, on the one hand, he was curious, and on the other hand, he longed to hear Ignis talk about it.

"You've got your hands free," Ignis replied, wiggling his eyebrows twice while his fingers traced from his collarbone down to his chest. Gladio's brain provided him a picture of Ignis fucking himself on a vibrator while using his hands to touch himself. Shifting from one leg to the other, Gladio tried to stand more comfortably despite the growing bulge inside his pants.

"Oh," Nyx grinned at Ignis. "Someone speaks from experience." 

"Talking about experience-" Ignis took a deep breath. "Never have I ever been disappointed or turned off by someone's inexperience in bed."  
"Hm," Nyx crossed his arms, seriously thinking about that. "No."  
"Never," Gladio stated firmly, watching Ignis. Somehow he had the distant feeling that that had been a personal question for him. Ignis smiled at him in relief.

"Is that connected to my story about falling asleep?" Crowe asked, taking a small sip from her glass. "Let's call this half a sip, and let me explain."  
"We are all ears," Nyx said.  
"That's not about this boring guy, I had been too sleepy and lazy that night. But I've been disappointed before because I expected something else. Like, someone looks kinky as fuck but is totally vanilla. Or someone looks like they're a virgin, but then you find out they have fucked with almost everyone. That disappointed my expectations. But I still had a good time with all of them once I knew what I had signed up for. Everyone has to start at some point. Nothing wrong with that." She shrugged.

"I like virgins or inexperienced people. It's nice to show and teach them all these pleasurable possibilities," Nyx whispered with his sultry voice.  
"It's fun to explore new stuff together, maybe find out about some new kinks," Gladio smiled at Ignis, remembering last week when Iggy had pulled his hair once.

"How long will we play this game? I'm out of ideas," Nyx whined.  
"Come on, at least give us one last statement, so we've come a full circle," Crowe urged him on.

Crossing his arms, Nyx looked deep in thought. As their eyes met, he looked apologetic for a second before he spoke up. "Never have I ever failed to get the phone number of my love interest."

"That's a low blow, man," Gladio said but took a sip from his beer anyway. He noticed Ignis staring at him with wide eyes, but he didn't meet his gaze.  
"I'll make it up to you, eagle boy," his best friend promised.  
"You better do," Gladio mumbled. "Excuse me for a moment."

Without further ado, Gladio left the table, walking towards the toilets. He had drunk way too much. 

While he knew that Nyx had meant no harm with his last statement, it had still stung. Ignis had his number since Gladio was too lazy to carry and charge two phones all the time. Maybe it wasn't wise to use his personal phone for work as well, but it had never been a problem. That's why Ignis had his private number already. 

Yet Gladio had never found the right opportunity to ask Ignis for his number. Furthermore, he had never dared to text Ignis about anything personal on his work phone. After all, there was a reason he had two phones. Obviously, the advisor separated business and private stuff.

When he came back from the toilet, he only saw Ignis and an unknown woman at their table. She was, not subtly at all, putting her cleavage on display. The poor girl had no idea that that would get her nowhere with Ignis.

Gladio still noticed how uncomfortable Ignis was in the situation, so he got back to the table and went with the first thing that came to his mind.  
"Sorry, I'm late, sweetheart," he winked at Ignis. "Who's this?" He looked at the woman, that blinked at him in confusion.  
"I'm glad you're back, darling," Ignis replied. And while Gladio knew he only played along with the charade he had begun, it still sounded nice and filled him with warmth. "My apologies," Ignis said towards the woman. "What's your name, and why are you here again?"

"Not important," she replied with a faked smile before she left their table again.

Ignis let out a sigh. "Thank you."  
"No problem," he replied honestly. "Why are you alone, anyway?"  
"Crowe and Nyx went dancing," Ignis responded, nibbling on his lips shortly. "Hand me your phone."  
"Huh?" Gladio was taken aback by this sudden turn in their conversation.  
"Your phone," Ignis repeated, already holding out his hand.

Not knowing what was going on but trusting the other not do anything stupid -even if he was drunk- Gladio unlocked his phone and gave it to him.

After typing something, Ignis handed it back without looking at Gladio. "I've saved my number," he whispered before he took another sip from his drink.

Not believing his ears, Gladio looked at his phone. Without a doubt, there was Ignis's number. A goofy smile appeared on his face as he cradled his phone as if it was the most precious thing on Eos. "Thanks."

Just as he wanted to mention that Crowe and Nyx could have waited until he was back before leaving, a text message popped up on his phone. 

Nyx:  
 _Sorry for the low blow, eagle boy. To atone for my sins, I have dragged Crowe to the dance floor to give you some time alone with pretty boy!_ (͠≖ ͜ʖ͠≖)

After that message, Gladio couldn't even be mad anymore. Furthermore, he had gotten Ignis's number by now - probably even thanks to Nyx mentioned it in the first place.

Gladio:  
 _Thx, man! He just gave me his number_ :D

Putting his phone away to give Ignis his undivided attention, Gladio noticed him drinking his cocktail again. "I take it that you like Tequila Sunrise?"  
"It's too good, Gladiolus," Ignis replied at once. "I'm drinking too much."

A chuckle left Gladio. "I don't think it's too much. You are still talking just fine."  
"But I'm highly inebriated."  
Pulling up an eyebrow, he grinned. "I've never heard of a drunk person that still managed to say words like _inebriated_."  
"Now you're teasing me," the advisor replied with a pout on his face.

"I'd never tease you," Gladio replied.  
"Never?" Ignis asked, his green eyes blinking up at him from behind slightly askew glasses. He had laid his arms on the high table again, even resting his head on them now. "Not even if I _wanted_ to get teased by you?"

_Astrals_.

It took all of Gladio's self-control not to jump Ignis right here and now. He was way too sexy. "You like to get teased?"  
A grin found its way to Ignis's thin rosy lips. "If it's done in the right way by the right person, _yes_." His voice had dropped an octave as he whispered the last word.

" _Fuck_ ," Gladio uttered, causing Ignis to chuckle. Burying his face behind his hands for a short moment, he tried to keep his libido under control. When he put down his hands again, Ignis's gaze had darkened, and he wasn't looking at Gladio anymore.

"What's up?"  
"There's this blonde woman that keeps staring at you," Ignis explained as he stood up straight again. 

Following his gaze, it wasn't challenging to lock eyes with said woman. She winked at him once, but Gladio immediately averted his eyes again, taking a sip from his beer. "Ignore her."  
"But she keeps staring at you."  
"Maybe I'm nice to look at," Gladio mentioned with a shrug. He really didn't care about any woman while he had Ignis right next to him. Drunken, flirty Ignis.

"You _are_ nice to look at," Ignis confirmed. "Have I ever told you that?"  
"Not yet," Gladio admitted slowly. With a gulp, he took up his courage. "Anything else you like about me?"  
"Hm," Ignis hummed. "Your warm smile, your laugh, your tattoo, your muscles, your big warm heart, your love for your family, your strength. Are you blushing? That's new, but I like it as well."

Gladio's cheeks flared up even more. Apparently, drunk Ignis was very honest, without holding back.  
"But I don't like that this woman is still staring at you," the advisor suddenly uttered, and before Gladio could return anything, Ignis had grabbed his left arm. He was resting his cheek against his shoulder while his hands hold onto his upper arm muscles.  
"Iggy?!" Gladio asked in surprise by this possessive gesture.  
"Hush. I must concentrate on sending death glares towards that meddlesome woman."

He couldn't stop the waves of laughter from tumbling from his lips, his whole body shaking.   
"Nothing can withstand your glares, Iggy," he mentioned truthfully, softly placing a kiss unto Ignis's hair. When he looked back up, that woman had turned around. "I think she has given up."  
"You're right," Ignis confirmed, leaning up again. 

Not yet ready to part again, Gladio dared to let his left arm slide around Ignis's back, resting his hand on his hip, pulling him closer. "Maybe we should stick together, so no one stares at me or talks to you."

"Are you sure that's not just an excuse to touch me?" Ignis asked, and Gladio opened his eyes in surprise.   
"Well, I-" he stuttered, suddenly insecure again. Had he crossed a line? Just as he slowly let go of Ignis again, he suddenly felt Ignis's right hand grabbing his hips.   
"I'm just teasing you, Gladiolus," Ignis replied with a chuckle as his familiar scent of lime and flowers drifted to Gladio's nose.  
"Oh."  
"What? You like to tease me, but you don't like getting teased by me?" Ignis asked, looking at him. Their faces were close to each other since they were practically glued together by their hips. Gladio gulped as he looked into Ignis's beautifully green eyes, and these thin rosy lips turned into a pout again.

"My Caipi!" Crowe exclaimed suddenly, picking up the cocktail she had left behind at the table. At once, Ignis let go of him, taking a step to the side to get some distance between them.

Nyx mouthed a silent _'sorry'_ towards Gladio. His best friend wasn't drunk enough to notice they had interrupted something.

"My drink is empty," Ignis stated yet went back to trying to suck up the remaining ice cubes with his drinking straw - which didn't work at all.

"Let's get new ones!" Crowe exclaimed cheerfully.  
"I'm sorry to be the voice of reason for once," Nyx mentioned with a sigh, "but maybe we should get home while we're still able to walk."  
"Too late," Ignis replied, and Nyx pulled up an eyebrow in confusion.  
"What?"  
"That's too late. By calculating how much alcohol I have consumed in the last hours, I have come to the conclusion that I am too inebriated to walk straight."

Crowe burst out laughing. "As if you had ever been _straight_!"  
Ignis joined her in her laughter, while Nyx only stared at Gladio in disbelief. "How can he still talk like that while being drunk?"  
"I have no idea, man."

The other two hadn't even heard them over their loud laughter. 

"Alright, time to go!" Nyx exclaimed, taking Crowe's arm to put it around his shoulder.   
"Hey! I can walk on my own, hero!"  
"I know. I just need an excuse to touch you," Nyx retorted.  
"He, alright, hero," she gave in. Nyx rolled his eyes, but Gladio snorted.

"You don't need an excuse to touch me since I can't walk on my own anymore!" Ignis said towards Gladio, making him laugh.  
"Don't worry, Iggy. I've got you." Putting their arms around each other's hips again, they followed Nyx and Crowe through the crowd towards the bar counter.

Gladio noticed that Ignis really did have trouble walking straight, but he managed to hold him close by his side so he wouldn't stray from their path or fall.

They went over to Cervisia to settle their bill, and Ignis wasn't drunk enough to let Gladio pay for him. 

As they went outside and were hit by the fresh air of a mild early summer night, Gladio suddenly felt the alcohol of the five beers he'd had.   
"You alright?" He asked Ignis, unsure how the other was faring.  
"Of course," came the short reply.

"Off to the train station!" Crowe exclaimed happily. Nyx and Gladio had long but giving up on telling a drunk Crowe to be quiet at night. She would only start a fight over it and yell even more. If they were lucky, she would soon get tired, though.

"Look, a lamp post!" the female glaive suddenly yelled, freeing herself from Nyx's grip, to grab the lamp post and run circles around it.  
"Crowe, please. You'll get dizzy and puke," Nyx let out a sigh.  
"I won't-" She came to a halt, swaying on her feet. "The world is getting dizzy, hero. Carry me!"

Rolling his eyes, Nyx walked towards her. He crouched down a bit to let her climb on his back, giving her a piggyback ride.

Gladio knew he shouldn't say what he was thinking right now, but he had had too much alcohol to stop the words from tumbling from his lips.

"Could you use that lamp post for pole dancing?"  
Nyx's eyes widened in surprise as Ignis let go of Gladio to walk towards the street light instead. 

"No," Ignis replied with a small pout after touching it. "It's too thick!"  
"What?" Nyx smirked. "You don't like a hard, _thick_ rod, pretty boy?"  
"Oh, I most certainly do," Ignis replied hoarsely, licking his lips, "for _other_ activities, not for pole dancing."  
"What activities?" Nyx asked.  
"You know what," Ignis retorted before he looked at Gladio with a pout. "Why is _she_ getting carried, but I'm not?"

"Yes, Gladio. Carry him," Nyx encouraged them, and Gladio didn't know if he was happy about it or not.  
"I can carry you," he replied nonchalantly, even though his heart rate was speeding up.

When Ignis got on his back, wrapping his long legs, clad into these leather pants, around him, Gladio already felt his dick twitching in interest. Ignis's body was pressing against his back, his chin resting on the top of his head. 

Grabbing Ignis's thighs to hold him, Gladio felt the firm muscles beneath his fingers. 

Together with Nyx, he walked towards the station. Gladio was wondering why Ignis had gotten so quiet all of a sudden. But when the advisor shifted to adjust his position, Gladio felt something unmistakably hard press against his back.

_Astrals._

Ignis had a boner.

Not that Gladio didn't have one, but still. He noticed the other growing tense as he leaned down a bit to bury his face in the crook of Gladio's neck, resting his chin upon his shoulder.

"Maybe it would be better if I walked on my own," Ignis whispered. Hoping that the other only was embarrassed, Gladio held unto his thighs a bit more firmly.  
"It's okay," he replied softly.  
"But I-"  
"It's okay, Iggy. You're drunk," he gave him an easy excuse.  
"My apologies."

Gladio chuckled. "I gotta admit that I quite like it." Only after the words had left him, he realized that it hadn't been clear if he talked about Iggy being drunk or Iggy having a boner. Although it didn't matter since he liked both.

"Really?"  
"Why do you sound so surprised?"  
"Well, I'm-" Ignis took a deep breath. "I'm a bit different when I'm not sober. I couldn't have known if you liked that version of me as well."

"Iggy," Gladio said fondly, "I don't think there's _any_ version of you I don't like. Just-" he broke off.  
"Just?" Ignis prompted.  
"Just tell me when you are grumpy because something bad happened at work or you're bothered by thoughts again or whatever. I always tend to think you are angry at _me_ for some reason."  
"Dutifully noted," Ignis whispered against his neck, and Gladio felt his own boner growing.

Nyx had a cheesy grin on his face as he watched them. Gladio only now noticed that Crowe had already fallen asleep, drooling on Nyx's shoulder. 

It didn't take them much longer to reach one of the larger stations of this part of the town. Nyx was taking Crowe home with him. After waving them goodbye, he hurried into the subway 'cause his train would arrive in five minutes.

Since the next train or bus towards Ignis's home wouldn't arrive within the next hour, they decided to take a cab instead. Together they said in the back, Ignis resting his head on Gladio's shoulder, drifting off to sleep every now and then. They were quiet during the drive, but Gladio relished to be this close to Ignis.

He asked the cab driver to wait for him as he got out of the car to accompany Ignis to his front door.

Once Ignis had fumbled his keys out of his impossibly tight trousers and unlocked the door, he turned around to Gladio again. "Thanks for taking me home."  
"Anytime," Gladio replied fondly.

For a short moment, they awkwardly stared at each other. Gladio knew he had to go. Even though his body longed to wrap his arms around the other man and hold him all night, his brain told him that he would regret it if their first night spent together had been one they were both drunk.

"Good night," Ignis said, leaning forward to place a quick kiss on Gladio's left cheek. Before he even realized what had happened, Ignis had already fled into his flat, closing the door.

For a few seconds, Gladio just stood there, staring at the green door. Then, as realization finally hit him, he crouched down, burying his face in his hands as he bit on his lip to stop himself from screaming.

Ignis had kissed him!

Only on his cheek, but still.

And they had hold hands today, flirted, _touched_. Gladio's brain was overheating, but he knew he had to walk back down since the cab was waiting for him.

After a few deep breaths, he managed to put himself together again. 

The ride home had almost lulled him to sleep, but as soon as he finally reached his bedroom, he pulled down his trousers. Flopping unto his bed with a hand already around his erection, he rubbed one off before he eventually fell asleep.

On Saturday, Gladio slept in. His body and mind were exhausted from the week, and he needed to rest. Around noon, he eventually got up to spend his day masturbating and catching up on his neglected training.

Needless to say that he slept like a rock the next night as well.

On Sunday morning, he awoke to a text message from Ignis. Fondly, he smiled. Yesterday he had thought about texting him but hadn't wanted to be pushy after their night out.

Ignis:  
 _Noct should get what he deserves, don't you think?_

Gladio:  
 _Maybe it's because I've only now woken up, but I have no idea what you're talking about._

Ignis:  
 _I'll call Noct and tell him I'll come to the coffee shop an hour later than planned._

Gladio:  
 _Now I see where you're coming from. Alright! I'll text Prom later as well. Oh, and I'll text Faba to look after them just as she had done for us XD_

Ignis:  
 _Perfect. See you later._

He felt a bit sad that he would see Ignis for an hour less than planned, but it was worth it. Noct had set them up on something like a coffee shop date twice already. It was about time to do him the same favor.

First, he texted Faba that his two friends from last week were coming over today and needed a more secluded place with some privacy, along with some of these cookies she had prepared for them last Saturday. Of course, she immediately caught on and promised to make sure they had a nice _date_.

At the appointed time, he texted Prompto.

Gladio:  
 _I'll be an hour late, pipsqueak. Enjoy your date with sleeping beauty_ ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Prompto:  
 _WHAT?!_

Laughing, Gladio put his phone away and slowly got ready to leave the house as well.

When he arrived at the coffee shop, he met Ignis at the entrance door. Unfortunately, the other was wearing his hair down again. His pants were his usual -not tight- dark dress pants, but at least he had two buttons of his gray dress shirt unbuttoned, showing off his necklace with the skull pendant.

"I should apologize for drinking too much on Friday," Ignis mentioned, his gaze nervously flicking around.  
"There isn't anything to apologize for, Iggy. It was a nice evening, and I regret nothing," Gladio reassured him with a smile.  
"I don't regret anything either," Ignis returned with a smile on his own.  
"Perfect."

Together, they went inside the coffee shop. When Faba spotted them, she pointed towards the back of the shop. There, they rounded a corner to found a single table with Noctis and Prompto sitting on it, far away from any prying eyes. There was a candle standing between them, even though it was a sunny day, but it still added to the romantic atmosphere. 

Noct and Prompto both had a blush on their face and looked relieved once they spotted them. As always, Ignis sat down next to the prince while Gladio took his seat next to the blond.

"Big guy! Any adventures to-"  
"Don't ask!" Noctis and Ignis shouted in unison, causing Gladio to burst out laughing.

Prompto, taken aback by that, frowned. "What do they know that I don't?"  
"Sorry, pipsqueak! Didn't have the time to tell you yet," Gladio started to explain, a grin on his face. 

"Tell me _now_!" Prompto ordered cheerfully while Noct and Iggy once again bid him not to.

With a teasing grin, Gladio couldn't hold back his words. "Nothing happened yet. But on Thursday, I've talked to the two sexiest men I know, and we agreed that we wouldn't be against a threesome."

"Oh! When?" Prompto asked as if he needed to save the date.  
Laughing once again when faced with the blond's enthusiasm, Gladio shrugged his shoulders. "When the mood strikes."  
"Huh, that's not very specific."  
"No, but it's enough for now," Gladio replied, but his eyes were drifting towards Ignis. When Gladio noticed him blushing, he couldn't help but wink at him, making Ignis even more flustered. Apparently, flirting still wasn't easy for the advisor while being sober.

"It's time for war," Ignis suddenly announced as he got up from the table.

At first, they were all confused about what he was referring to. Yet when he sat back down, placing a deck of UNO cards on the table, they all knew what to expect. 

"You're on!" Gladio returned with a challenging gaze. "I won't lose."

"Believe in yourself all you want, but if Lady Luck isn't on your side, you won't win," Ignis stated rationally.

"Good thing that _everyone_ wishes to be by my side." Gladio wiggled his eyebrows while Noct and Ignis rolled their eyes in unison.

The card game that followed proved that Lady Luck didn't favor _any_ of them today. They all won and lost some matches. In the beginning, they had kept their emotions in check, but soon they had started to swear, yell, and whine out of frustration. Even Ignis couldn't stop his eyebrow from twitching and curses from tumbling from his lips after a while. It was nice to see this more casual side of him. It was the true Ignis that hid behind that prim and proper attitude - not that Gladio disliked that. But it was nice to see even more sides of Ignis. Gladio would never grow tired of learning more about his love interest. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you've enjoyed reading this monstrous chapter of 23k words. (How the hell did that escalate so much XD)
> 
> Feel free to drop a comment, even if it are only 2 or 3 words! Reading your thoughts and impressions keeps me going ♥
> 
> I'm using Twitter on a daily basis, so if you're ever interested in any updates, you know where to look!  
> [Check out my Profile to find me on Tumblr or Twitter!](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SophiaHoppia/profile)
> 
> [Or simply check out my other fanfictions!](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SophiaHoppia/works)


	13. The first time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "The first time."  
> It is exactly what you think yet at the same time it's not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you thought the last chapter had been long with 23k words, I don't know what you will say about this chapter with 33k words.
> 
> No, I have no idea how that happened.
> 
> Also, the Amicitia family got a bit out of hand.
> 
> (I hope there aren't too many typos/mistakes. Since the chapter got so long, I've only reread it twice.)
> 
> [Click here for a layout of Gladio's room!](https://twitter.com/SophiaHoppia/status/1341058114859229185)

When his alarm rang in the morning, Gladio felt grumpy. Who liked to get woken up? Especially on a Monday. But it took merely a few seconds until he remembered the last days: Their get-together at the coffee shop yesterday; a night out on Friday with a very tipsy and _flirty_ Ignis.

A few chuckles left his lips as he hugged his pillow and rolled from one side of the bed to the next. Screw Monday! Today would be a good day, followed by a good week, and a good life!

With a motivation uncommon for a Monday morning, Gladio got out of bed. His dad was a bit surprised by his early appearance at the breakfast table, but he greeted him with a smile. Iris was, as always, a bundle of energy in the morning. When she jumped up from her chair to hug her brother, she spilled her glass of milk. Otherwise, the morning went without incident, and they enjoyed their breakfast together. If anyone noticed how Gladio had a goofy smile on his face as he stared at his cup of coffee since it reminded him of his coffee-loving soon-to-be boyfriend, no one mentioned it.

A chuckle left him. _Boyfriend_. _Lover_. Gladio had a feeling that it wouldn't take much longer until he could call Ignis just that. They were making progress, especially after this weekend.

His mood got even better when he arrived at the Citadel, and Cor greeted him with something that could be called a smile - at least the corners of his mouth had turned up a bit. The marshall praised the training regimen for the recruits Gladio had prepared and tasked him with overseeing even more of their training sessions. By now, Gladio had noticed that Cor was placing more and more responsibility on him. It was a challenge, but he wouldn't back down. 

Therefore, he spent most of his Monday dedicated to his work: watching the recruits, teaching them, ignoring Novus's flirtatious advances, sparring with them. Furthermore, he had to praise Prompto's dedication. At the training, the blond was almost like a different person. He was concentrating without talking, forehead wrinkled as he aimed his shots. Gladio appreciated his devotion, but he had to watch out for the little sunshine. Getting too ambitious and stiff could back-fire at some point. But as long as he still had fun while taking his training seriously and wasn't getting frustrated, Gladio had nothing to complain about. 

He spent his lunch break with Novus and Prompto. Although it felt more like the blond was spending his time with his phone. From the way he smiled, snickered, and laughed, Gladio deduced that his friend was texting Noctis. After a while, Novus complained about getting ignored by both of them, and Prompto put his phone away apologetically. Gladio didn't like to admit it, but when Novus for once stopped his exaggerated advances, he wasn't such a bad company. Prompto got along well with the black-haired man as well. Apparently, they played the same videogames, and Novus was fond of Chocobos, sometimes even saying that Prompto reminded him of one. If Gladio didn't know any better, he would think Novus was flirting with the blond.

After another long training session with the recruits and a quick stop at the local book store, he had dinner with his sister. She was pouting that Jared didn't have time to bake cookies with her next Saturday, even though she had promised her friends to bring some with her - freshly baked and still hot.  
He felt sorry for her, but she reacted surprisingly mature when he eventually mentioned that, next time, she should ask Jared first before making another promise like that.

Once Clarus arrived home to spend the evening with Iris, Gladio went to his room.   
Flopping down on his bed, he stared at the ceiling for a moment. Should he text Ignis, or would that be too pushy? No, it should be okay. After all, the advisor had given him his private number. 

Turning around to lie on his stomach, he grabbed his phone. A goofy smile found its way to his lips as he texted Ignis.

Gladio:  
_Cor liked the training regimen I've made for the recruits and let me handle their training on my own for the whole day_ (*•̀ᴗ•́*)و ̑̑

Usually, Gladio didn't use many emoticons in his text messages. But Prompto was using them all the time, and sometimes Gladio saved a few of them. It just felt weird not to use any when Prompto was flooding the chat with them. Gladio could go with or without them. Most of the time, he simply adjusted to his conversational partner. Ignis probably wouldn't use many emoticons, but you never knew. It wouldn't be the first time the advisor surprised him with something unexpected. 

A small notification sound interrupted his thoughts, and Gladio smiled at his phone when he read Iggy's answer.

Ignis:  
_It is high praise that the marshall entrusted this task to you. Congratulations!_

Gladio:  
_Heh, I guess it is. Thanks! How was your day? :)_

Ignis:  
_Monotonous and uninteresting compared to your achievements, I'm afraid._

Gladio:  
_Meetings and reports?_

Ignis:   
_That about sums it up, yes._

Gladio:  
_What are you doing now?_

Ignis:  
_Editing._

Gladio:  
_Reports for work?_

Ignis:  
_Gods, no._

Gladio:  
_Oooohh!_ ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Ignis:  
_That's more accurate, yes._

Gladio:  
_I'm looking forward to it._

Ignis:  
_You don't even know what it's about._

Gladio:  
_So far, I've liked all your fanfictions. I trust in your writing skills._

Ignis:  
_Thank you._

For a moment, Gladio pondered to ask Ignis about the details of this new fanfiction, but eventually, he decided against it. He was in the mood for a surprise. 

Not expecting the other to finish soon, Gladio grabbed one of the books he had bought earlier. It had been way too long since he had immersed himself in a new story. As he read page after page, time flying by without his notice, he realized how much he had missed that. Smiling, he remembered that it had also been thanks to a book that he and Ignis had finally started to get closer to each other. A book, and Ignis's fanfiction. Literature was magical and powerful - and Gladio loved all of it.

On Tuesday morning, Gladio woke up to the sound of his alarm. The corner of his book was poking his cheek since he had fallen asleep while reading in bed. 

Taking a selfie, he wanted to send it to Ignis but decided against it at the last second. His hair was a mess, and even though the imprint on his cheek looked funny, the picture didn't show himself at his best. 

Instead, he got ready for the day and went downstairs. To his surprise, Regis sat at their breakfast table as well. It had been a while since he had spent the night here, but Gladio was happy for him and his dad. 

Filling his cup, he sat down and sent Ignis a photo of his coffee.

Gladio:   
_Good morning!_

His sister laughed, asking why he took a picture of his breakfast, but he only replied that she would understand it once she got older. While she pouted, their father had a knowing smile on his face, and even Regis was grinning. However, Gladio didn't notice anything of that since he was busy smiling at his phone. 

Ignis:  
_With coffee, it's always a good morning._

Ignis had sent him a photo of his own cup, steaming hot. In the background, Gladio noticed the edge of his laptop on his work desk.

Gladio:  
_You're already at the office?!_

Ignis:  
_The early bird catches the worm._

It wasn't a secret that Ignis worked much, but Gladio had no idea at which hour he began. Furthermore, he was pretty sure that he usually spent his mornings waking up Noctis and making breakfast for him. Gladio had more than once been jealous of their prince. Getting woken up to a homemade breakfast from Ignis sounded like a dream. 

A snicker left his lips as he realized that this dream might come true soon. 

"Something funny?" Iris asked, innocently as she was.  
"Nah," he replied shortly, his focus already back on his phone as he typed his next message.  
"You're weird, Gladdy," his sister added.

Gladio:  
_What about our princess? Will he be on time without you waking him up?_

Ignis:  
_Prompto has volunteered to take over that task today._

Gladio:  
_Oh, that's nice._

Gladio was still waiting for the day when these two would finally confess their feelings for each other. They cared about each other deeply, and Gladio was sure they would make a great pair. Since Ignis didn't reply, he assumed the other was busy with work. Following that motivation, Gladio gulped down his breakfast and went to the Citadel as well. Today, he would manage the recruits' training again as well as work out on his own. Disappointing the marshall's trust in him was out of the question, so he focused on fulfilling his duty as best as possible.

Prompto arrived just on time for the first training session, looking very exhausted. Gladio could only guess that the blond had experienced difficulties getting the prince out of bed this morning. While Prompto had often spent the night at Noct's on the weekend and managed to wake him on the next day, it had never been as early as on a workday. Maybe the blond had underestimated just how deeply Noctis slept.

However, as soon as Prompto had picked up his training weapon, he looked determined - despite his exhaustion. With a proud smile on his face, Gladio gave the blond an acknowledging slap on the back. At first, Prompto looked confused, but when Gladio gave him a thumbs up, he smiled.

Time flew by, and when Gladio took out his phone, he noticed a missed message from Nyx. The glaive had opened a group chat with him and Ignis.

Nyx:  
_Meet me at lunch break, eagle boy._  
_I've got a present for you_ ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

There was a photo of a brown, wrapped-up package attached to the message. _Anything_ could be inside there, and Gladio just stared at his phone with a frown. A present for him? And why the hell was Nyx posting this in a group chat? Not that he minded a group chat with these two in general, but it was weird. Had he missed something?

Gladio:  
_At my usual place?_

Nyx:  
_Yup!_

While Prompto was on his way to the Cafeteria with Novus and another recruit, Gladio went to the backyard. 

His best friend was already there, waiting for him, the package tucked under his arm. Leaning closer, Nyx whispered into his ear, "Open it at home when you are alone." 

Only now, Gladio remembered their conversation from Friday night when they had talked about sex toys at the bar.   
"Oh my gods, you didn't-"  
"I _did,_ " Nyx replied smugly.  
"Of _fucking_ course, you did." Gladio chuckled as he accepted the present. 

"A secret exchange in the backyard?" Domicella suddenly exclaimed with a wide grin after sneaking up on them, her long blond hair tied up in a ponytail.   
"No, it's-" Gladio started to reply as he flinched out of surprise, but Nyx interrupted him.  
"Fast, make something up, eagle boy! It's money! Or no, wait: sex toys. No, no, not juicy enough. Drugs?" The glaive was vividly gesticulating with his hand.

"If you suggest all these things, it's probably nothing but a boring stack of books," Domicella responded with a sigh, the sparkle gone from her piercing green eyes.  
" _Shit_ , now you've found out the boring truth!" Nyx theatrically slapped his face.   
"Don't worry, my lips are sealed," she promised. Gladio had to hold back a laugh as he noticed how easily his best friend had tricked her.

"Thanks," Nyx replied before he turned to Gladio again. "Wanna meet up tomorrow instead of Thursday?"  
"Sure, I don't mind. Any particular reason why?"  
"Because he's got a mission for Thursday night," the maid answered for the glaive.  
"And how do _you_ know that?" Gladio asked, pulling up an eyebrow. For a moment, he wondered if these two had a date scheduled for Thursday night. Although, usually, nothing came between their friend's night on Thursday.  
"A maid knows _everything_ that happens at the Citadel," Domicella replied with a grin. Judging by how fast rumors always traveled, Gladio believed her.   
"It's true," Nyx replied with a sigh, "direct order from Cor. Escort mission from Thursday to Saturday. Sorry, eagle boy."  
"Ah, no problem, man. I'll just come over tomorrow," he replied with a reassuring smile. Work always had priority, and he didn't mind if they met one day earlier instead.

"What are you two up to during your weekly meetings anyway?" Domicella asked, curiosity in her voice. Her green eyes were sharp as she sniffed a chance to pick up rumors.  
"We're trading illegal money, sex toys, and drugs," Nyx replied smugly.  
The maid burst into laughter. "Yeah, sure. I know that you two like to read boring books. It won't be a surprise to me if you meet up to talk about them."

"Why do you-" Gladio wanted to ask where this sudden topic of books came from -again- but Nyx beat him to it.  
"I'm sorry, eagle boy," the glaive bowed. "You know my flat is scarcely furnished and that one bookshelf really stands out. She pestered me about it last time until I admitted that _yes, I like reading_ , and sometimes we spent the night reading together."

Gladio had to admit that he admired Nyx's wits. It was the best way to subtly satisfy her curiosity without spilling any secrets. It wasn't a lie that they spent their shared time reading together. Domicella was the one who thought they'd be reading _books_ while instead, they were reading dirty fanfictions together. Or reading the subtitles of a foreign porn movie.

"At first, I thought it was always about sex with you two, but it is kinda sweet that you have this other side as well," the maid admitted with a smile. 

Gladio wondered when he and Nyx had last met up _without_ talking about anything sex-related.   
He couldn't remember. 

"We can be sweet and strict," he told Domicella, noticing how his best friend secretly winked at him.   
"That's so true," she replied with a smile.  
"Anyway," Nyx said, pulling the attention back to him, "I've gotta go. Don't wanna be late for magic training with my lovely student."

Gladio could punch him in the face for that teasing grin on his face, but he held back. Even if Nyx could be a tease, he was his best friend ever, and Gladio would forever be grateful to have him in his life.

"Thank you," Gladio said, referring to everything Nyx always did for him yet pointing at the package he had received.  
"With _pleasure_ ," his best friend replied, a mischievous grin on his face. "The _climax_ will leave you breathless."

"Oh," Domicella's eyes lit up, "so not everything about this book is boring!"  
Nyx only nodded at her, visibly troubled to hold back the laughter any longer, and Gladio turned around at once to hide his chuckles. 

_Not always about sex between him and Nyx._  
As if.

His afternoon training session seemed to drag on endlessly. While he did his best to focus on his workout, he couldn't stop his thoughts from drifting towards that present his best friend had given him. While he could _guess_ what was inside the package, he felt giddy to see it for real - and to _use_ it.

Once he finally arrived home, his sister stopped him before he could go up to his room, demanding that he ate dinner with her. He couldn't say no.

Afterwards, he went to his room and took the lube out of the nightstand drawer. 

With that, he locked himself in the bathroom, finally opening that package. As expected, he found a vibrator with an attachable suction cup. It had an average size and was purple. Even though it was brand-new and should be clean, Gladio cleaned it anyway - just to be sure. 

Shortly, he considered taking a shower now but then decided against it. Things would get messy soon, so he would shower later. Instead, he merely used his lube and fingers to stretch himself. It had been a while, and he knew that preparing was necessary, but he was too eager to get started. While he didn't receive very often, he still enjoyed it. Although he had to admit that he had never been that much into getting fingered. A dick felt better for him.

Therefore, his preparation got done fast. Once he was done, he washed his hands. After all, the whole point of this new toy was to have his hands clean and free while using it.

Wrapping his present in a fresh towel -in case anyone crossed his path in the hallway- he went to his room and locked the door.

When he reached for his phone to start up some music to drown out other noises, he noticed a text message notification from the group chat. Ignis had posted the link to a fanfiction.

His heart was beating faster as he clicked on the link and read the tags: _NSFW, PWP, Liber's PoV, Aegis riding Liber._

Well, if _that_ wasn't perfect timing, he didn't know what was. At first, he had intended to check out that new porn magazine he had bought on his way home yesterday, but this was even better. Switching back to the chat, he typed a quick response.

Gladio:  
_Another present that fits in perfectly well with the first one._

Nyx:  
_Yup!_

A snort left Gladio as he noticed the same short reply from his friend as earlier today. Nyx rarely said, ' _Yup,'_ but he wrote it often.

Starting up some enjoyable music, Gladio attached his new toy to the floor, coating it in lube before he wiped his fingers with the towel. 

Impatiently, he sat down, taking the cold vibrator up his ass. It was spreading him further than expected, and he flinched when a jolt of pain went through his body.

_Shit._

Maybe his preparation had been too sloppy after all. But he would get used to it eventually. He had already taken bigger cocks in his life. Intending to transform the pain into pleasure, he turned on the vibration to the lowest setting as he started to read Ignis's fanfiction.

_Liber was looking up to Aegis's face. The fighter was grinning as he rode Liber's cock like a champion._

_Usually, the librarian was on the receiving end of their sexual activities, but Aegis had suggested a change of pace. And Liber couldn't complain about it with_ that _view._

_Aegis was stark-naked, muscular thighs flexing as he moved his body up and down. Liber could watch his own cock sliding in and out of this tight hole. But no matter how arousing that sight was, his gaze always drifted back to Aegis's face. The longer they went on, the more often the fighter let moans slip from his lips. With his eyes closed, he got lost in desire, his face contorting, his toes curling as pleasure rushed through his whole body._

_Liber loved to watch the other come undone like this. It was almost better than the hot feeling around his own erection. Letting his hands travel up the muscular body of his lover, he traced his abs before his hands found Aegis's nipples. Squeezing them both at once caused the other to throw his head back in bliss, a deep moan tumbling from his lips._

_Meeting Aegis's movements, Liber pushed his hips up, intensifying their connection. The fighter moaned every time his prostate got hit._

_Soon their movements sped up even further, and Liber let his right hand travel down his lover's body again, intending to touch his hot erection._  
_"No," Aegis exclaimed breathlessly, and Liber stopped the movement of his hand. "I wanna come untouched."_

_Taking in a sharp breath, the librarian went back to caressing Aegis's nipples. Pinching and twisting, he played with the sensitive bundles of nerves, smiling when Aegis's body shook from all the pleasure._

_Their movements were getting faster, more erratic, less rhythmic yet still quick and hard. Liber did his best to please Aegis, knowing full well how magnificent it felt to come untouched while getting his prostate massaged._

_It didn't take much longer until every muscle in Aegis's body tensed as he held his breath for a short moment until he finally came. Feeling his lover come, squeezing him harder than before, Liber came as well._

_They both needed a moment to catch their breath until their lips met in a slow but deep kiss._

A groan left Gladio as he took down his phone. Inspired by the fanfiction, he had tried to come untouched as well, but it hadn't worked out yet. He had turned up the vibration to the maximum during his reading, but it still wasn't enough. At least he wasn't hurting anymore. The vibration felt good. However, he needed more.

Picking up his phone again, he searched Nyx's chat.

Gladio:  
_Nice._

Nyx:  
_Pretty boy's fanfic or my present?_

Gladio:  
_Both._

As he noticed that typing was difficult, he kept his answers short. He felt like his whole body was shaking from the vibrations and the pleasure rushing through him.

Nyx:  
_Did you come untouched like Aegis?_

Gladio:  
_That fast? No way._

Nyx:  
_Oh?_

Gladio:  
_Not there yet._  
_Had my hands free, so I texted you._

Nyx:  
_*sexted_

Gladio:  
_Come on, man!_

Nyx:  
_Need some help?_

Gladio:  
_YES! Call me?_

Ignis:  
_No._

Nyx:  
_Oh?_

Ignis:  
_My apologies for interfering._

In his lust-driven state, Gladio's brain needed a moment to register what was going on. Yet when he did, he stopped the movements of his hips, the vibrations still going on. 

Gladio:  
_FUCK! This is the group chat?!_

Nyx:  
_As if you hadn't realized that from the start._

Gladio:  
_No! Fuck!_

Nyx:  
"Fuck, that's hot," _or_ "fuck, you finally came"?

Gladio:  
_Not yet. It's just-_

A frustrated groan left him again. He wanted to come - he really did. And he knew that talking, actually _talking_ , not texting, to Nyx would get him there in no time. His best friend could work magic with that sexy voice. Yet what if instead of Nyx, Ignis would-

Even before he could finish that thought, his dick twitched in interest.

Gladio:  
_Not enough._

Nyx:  
_Mmh~ I guess you need some sounds after all._

Gladio:  
_Yes._

Nyx:  
_Alright. Pretty boy, you've gotta call him._

Gladio:  
_Astrals, Nyx!!_

Even though he had had the exact same thought just seconds ago, Gladio couldn't believe his best friend had suggested that right now. 

Nyx:  
_I'm done. You two should call and have some fun. Don't be shy, pretty boy. Call him. I'll be offline now._

Gladio:  
_You can't be serious._  
_Nyx._  
_Hey!_

No matter how long he stared at his phone, there was no reply. 

Closing the text messenger app, Gladio gulped. Calling with Ignis. Right now, while he rode his new toy. A moan slipped from his lips. Yes, that would be good. Hearing Ignis's voice would surely make him come.

Yet there was no call.

With a frown, Gladio stopped the movements of his hips again. After a short moment of hesitation, he opened his contact list and called Ignis. It rang three times before it stopped.

"Iggy?" Gladio asked, breathless as anticipation rushed through his body. 

" _The person you have called is temporarily not available,_ " the automatic answer of the voicemail came from the phone, and Gladio looked at it in confusion. 

He ended the call only to try it again. This time, it went to voicemail after the first ring.

Ignis was rejecting his calls.

A weird mix of emotions was bubbling up inside of Gladio. He felt angry, betrayed, and disappointed while at the same point, he was worried, nervous, and annoyed. It soon turned into desperation, and for a moment, he considered just calling Nyx. His best friend wouldn't reject him - _never_. 

Yet, in the end, he didn't call him. Why should he? The mood was gone. Turning off the toy, he flopped face-down to his bed. Cleaning up would have to wait since he wasn't in the mood for anything. He just felt numb.

His thoughts were running in circles. Ignis had refused his calls, had rejected _him_. 

A tiny voice in the back of his head reminded him that maybe Ignis had been too busy, had been too shy, too insecure. But Gladio drowned out that voice. 

Anger was bubbling up inside of him. If Ignis didn't want to call, he should just say so. But forbidding Gladio's call with Nyx and then letting Gladio down? Did he enjoy making him suffer? 

Turning around again, Gladio noticed an unpleasant feeling in his lower regions. He wasn't severely hurt, but he realized that he had rushed too fast with his preparation. And for what? He hadn't even come. A desperate huff left him. He didn't even remember the last time when a masturbating session had gone that wrong. He wasn't an inexperienced teenager anymore, _for fuck's sake_.

How had it come to this? Things had been going so well since last Friday. Gladio had been sure that it was only a question of days until they would finally get together, but now he wasn't so sure anymore. What if they never got their happy end? What if they just didn't fit together, even though they both wanted to? Gladio was doing his best to fix that which had been broken unintentionally. He had been working his ass off these last weeks, had changed his way of living. He was making amends for the damage he had caused. And what did he get as thanks? A rejection? 

In his furious state, Gladio turned around again. This time, he fell out of his bed, colliding with the cold ground. Yet he didn't even care. He just kept lying there, staring up at his white ceiling. 

He was at a loss. Too many thoughts and too many feelings at once overwhelmed him. Anger made him want to shout, made him want to take a run, or pick up a fight. Yet his disappointment was strong enough to drain all energy out of him. He knew that he was getting lost in dark thoughts. Deep down, there was that voice telling him to shake off that _one_ letdown and look at the bright side of everything else. 

He couldn't, however. His strength had left him, and he simply kept laying there, staring at his ceiling. 

Rationally, it would be wise to get up from the floor, clean up, go to bed, sleep, and tackle this problem tomorrow. The next step was asking Nyx, who always had the right advice in moments like this, for advice. Then, talk it out with Ignis.

_Iggy._

Gladio flared his nostril in anger. If only he had called him. Or hadn't butted in on his conversation with Nyx.

Putting his arm over his face, Gladio groaned. He was in the mood to forget, in the mood for alcohol and sex. Good sex. With someone that didn't leave him unsatisfied. Someone like Nyx.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Gladio took a deep breath. His thoughts were drifting away again. Sometimes he wished he had just fallen for his best friend. A relationship with him would be so much easier since they had good chemistry. But that wasn't how feelings worked. And even now, while his thoughts drifted to Nyx, his heart ached and longed for Ignis.

He felt pathetic.

By the time Gladio finally managed to break out of his circle of dark thoughts, it was pitch-black inside his room. As he sat up, his back ached from lying on the cold ground for too long. Nyx would scold him for that self-destructive behavior. A desperate chuckle left Gladio's lips: He should have just called his best friend hours ago. But now, he didn't want to risk waking him up.

Furthermore, Gladio was feeling better now. He would get this under control.

He managed to get up and to go to the bathroom to clean up. Once he was back in his room, he stowed away the clean toy and picked up his phone: 1:43 am.

Gladio remembered that, back then, his classmates in high school had called this a magical time. The girls had believed that it was the right moment to confess to their significant others. Furthermore, wishes made at that time would come true.

Why was he remembering that now? He wasn't superstitious.

Yet, then again - he had nothing to lose. And all he wished for right now was an answer as to why it had come to all this.

Starting up his text messenger app, Gladio opened his private chat with Ignis. Just this morning, they had been chatting without a care in the world, and now he sat here in the dark with negative thoughts. 

Gladio:  
_Why did you reject the call?_

When he saw that Ignis had read the message, Gladio held his breath. It was unexpected that Ignis was still awake at this hour. Clenching his phone harder, Gladio stared at the display, waiting for an incoming reply.

But he didn't get an answer.

Even after ten minutes of intense staring, no words popped up on his screen.

" _Fuck_!" He yelled in frustration, uncaring about the late hour and his family sleeping in the same house. His phone made a loud clattering noise as he had thrown it Astrals-know-where. 

He was angry.

He needed to let off some steam. 

Grabbing his keys, he put on his running shoes and left the house. His jogging turned into running, and even though his lungs soon screamed at him in pain, the dark thoughts racing through his head hadn't stopped. 

That wasn't sufficient.

He wanted-

He needed-

Gladio felt like he was going crazy. 

Turning around, he ran back home. He needed a drink. Just one, maybe two. A beer or something else. 

At home, he grabbed the first bottle he found and took a sip. It burned down his throat that had been hurting from running too much anyway, but he didn't care. It was painful, but it was good as well: a distraction from these thoughts.

Taking another sip would help even more. And another one. 

He tried to go back to his room, but somehow he found himself sitting on the couch in the living room instead. It didn't matter. 

Nothing mattered right now.

"Son," a familiar voice softly called out, but he couldn't pinpoint who it belonged to.

"Gladiolus." That was his name, yeah. He knew that much.

" _Gladiolus_ ," his father said again, louder this time, losing patience. 

He opened his eyes, only to close them again with a loud groan as the sunlight shining in through the windows hurt him. 

"Get up." Strong arms pulled him into a sitting position, pressing a plastic bottle to his hands. Squinting, he opened his eyes long enough to recognize the item in his hand. It was a water bottle.

_A freaking water bottle._

"No!"   
It had been on reflex. Gladio's brain needed a moment to realize that he had screamed and thrown away the bottle. 

_Shit._ Gladio knew he was throwing more of a tantrum than his little sister ever had.

"Are you still drunk?" His dad asked as he gripped his right shoulder. "Look at me, son."

"I'm alright," Gladio replied, putting a hand over his face to block out the sun, his head resting on the backrest of the couch.

A long sigh left his father as he sat down next to him. "I already heard these exact same words from you some weeks ago, and back then, you have been everything but _not alright_."

"Don't worry," he mentioned weakly.  
"If I don't worry, I'll be just angry about your self-destructive nature," his father admitted.  
"You've got every right to be," Gladio mumbled. "I've been stupid. I shouldn't drink so much at night." 

Patting pants pockets, Gladio searched for his phone to check the time - without success.

"Wanna tell me _why_ you got drunk?"  
"Not really." Gladio had almost forgotten about it, but now he remembered. Ignis had rejected his call. It sounded so stupid now that he thought about it since it had only been one little action. They could work that out. Everything would be back to normal soon. Once he found his phone, surely there would be an apology and a good-morning message from Ignis waiting for him.

"What are your next steps?" Clarus asked, trying to get his son to focus on the future instead of getting lost in the past.  
"Find my phone, and go to work. Gotta be a good role model for these recruits Cor entrusted to me."  
A snort left his father. "Are you even sober enough to walk?"  
"I have to. Duty calls," Gladio added with a bittersweet smile. Sometimes he hated to be a responsible working adult. Although the _'responsible'_ part was questionable in his case.

"I'll be leaving in ten minutes. I can give you a ride if you are ready by then," Clarus offered without asking further questions, and Gladio was grateful for it.

"Alright." Taking a deep breath, he slowly opened his eyes. It was way too bright, but he could deal with that somehow. Standing up proved to be a challenge, and Gladio realized that he hadn't sobered up completely. It might be wiser to stay home and sleep this off, but Cor had entrusted the recruits' training to him, and he wouldn't want to disappoint him. Maybe he wasn't cut out for driving or swinging weapons right now, but he could observe others. His brain was working well enough, even though his whole body was hurting. And he felt sick. Way too sick. Actually, sick enough to-

He had managed to reach the bathroom on time.

Emptying his stomach and splashing his face with cold water had sobered him up at least a bit. After brushing his teeth and half-heartedly combing back his hair, he went to his room to change his clothes.

As he picked up his phone from the floor, fortunately still intact, he saw that he had no missed calls and no new messages.

That nasty cocktail of negative emotions was bubbling up inside of him again. Stuffing the phone into his bag, he went down the stairs again. Now was not the time to think about that. He was angry at Ignis, but he was also disappointed in himself. He had been overreacting and neglected his health. To make up for that, he could at least give it his all at work today.

It was silent during their car ride towards the Citadel. Gladio appreciated that his dad hadn't turned on the radio and wasn't pestering him with any questions. It took only a few minutes, but he used them to rest his eyes for a bit.

Observing and teaching the recruits had never been more difficult than today. Gladio was tired, his eyelids falling down every now and then when he intended to study a recruit's movements. The loud clashing of weapon against weapon resonated in his head, worsening his headache with every second. The sick feeling in his stomach was creeping up his throat, and he needed all his willpower to keep it down. His patience was running thin when he had to explain something twice, self-hatred nagging him as he noticed some recruits flinching as he raised his voice in anger.

And during all this, the unpleasant feeling in his lower regions was a constant reminder of his fucked-up evening.

Frustration was starting to overshadow all other feelings. Gladio felt like he couldn't do his job right, couldn't take proper care of himself, couldn't deal with getting ignored by Ignis.

And judging by the hurtful look Prompto threw him, as Gladio simply shook his head when the blond reached out to him in worry, he couldn't even cultivate his friendships anymore.

During his lunch break, he lay down on the grass next to a tree, intending to take a nap. He could rest for a while until he heard footsteps coming closer. Grumpily he opened one eye to inspect who was brave enough to bother him despite his bad mood. Noctis was standing next to him, arms crossed. He closed his eyes again.

"I'm a ticking time bomb right now, and I don't want to take this out on you," Gladio warned his charge, knowing full well that he always picked up fights with Noct when his mood was like this.  
"Anything I can do to defuse the situation?"   
"Why don't you ask your _dearest_ advisor? Maybe _you_ will even get an answer," he added sarcastically.  
"So far, I got nothing but death glares and cold shoulders from him today," Noctis replied with a sigh. "You two can be a handful."  
"Said the bratty princess," Gladio huffed.  
"Shut up." The prince kicked against Gladio's foot. 

There was a moment of silence where they both dwelled on their own thoughts.

"Prompto's worried about you," Noct whispered eventually.  
"I _know_!" Gladio exclaimed as he got reminded of his utter incompetence. "Tell him to leave me alone today. It has nothing to do with him."  
"Alright," Noct answered resolutely. "And I'll talk to Iggy tonight once he has stopped working like a madman just to push _whatever problem he has_ to the back of his mind."  
"Thanks," Gladio managed to force out the word.

After Noct had left, Gladio did his best to rest for a few more minutes. Unfortunately, his thoughts didn't stop circling endlessly. It would be nice if Noct could help somehow. He was Iggy's best friend, after all. Yet then again, that didn't change the fact that Gladio had gotten disappointed yesterday. Neither did it do anything about his fragile state of mind _now_.

During the recruits' afternoon training, his father walked by. He simply nodded at him and continued his way, but Gladio knew better than that. There was no reason for his dad to walk by the training field - it was a detour no matter where he went. The tiny rational voice in the back of his mind told him that his dad had checked up on him because he was worried about his well-being. But that thought got drowned out by a bitter sentiment: He wasn't trustworthy anymore. Someone had to check up on it. 

Closing his eyes for a few seconds, Gladio took some deep breaths. He needed to get this back under control. He couldn't spiral into a self-destructive behavior again. First, he needed something good, something to brighten his mood. 

Opening his eyes again, he saw Novus winking at him before he managed to knock his training partner's weapon out of their hand. The guy really had gotten better at sword fighting. Yet his flirting skills hadn't changed one bit. Gladio averted his eyes when Novus had begun rubbing his sword hilt with a lascivious look on his face.

Until Gladio's eyes wandered back to him anyway.

_Sex_.

Sex always felt good, and it brightened his mood. 

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Gladio tried to stop these thoughts. Now wasn't the time for that.

Yet again, why not? It's not like he was together with Ignis yet. And even if he had proclaimed to stop his flings, Gladio had known one thing from the beginning: He could live without one-night stands if he had Ignis instead. But he didn't have Ignis, and he couldn't go on like this any longer. He needed a good fuck. _Now_ , not in the unforeseeable future.

As if he could read his thought, Novus wiggled his eyebrows at him. He was so willing - unlike someone else who had simply rejected him yesterday. 

But Gladio wasn't in the mood to take any chances. Novus had annoyed him once, and he couldn't be sure if he would do it again in any way if they got intimate. Gladio needed someone who would make him feel good. For a moment, he remembered Domicella. Her piercing green eyes, sharp like Ignis's. She would be a good girl for him, would follow his orders to fulfill his every wish. 

But somehow, that wasn't what he wanted right now. After yesterday evening, he just wanted to get taken, _needed_ to get fucked. When was even the time that had happened? 

Pondering shortly, he suddenly remembered: After he had delivered Verecunda's love letter. When he had spent the night with Nyx. 

Nyx, who always knew what he needed.   
Nyx, who was there for him, no matter what.   
Nyx, who did _everything_ for him.

_Fuck._ Gladio needed him. _Now._

His best friend would never reject him. Instead, he would make these negative thoughts stop, would fuck him long and hard until he couldn't think straight anymore. 

Somehow Gladio had managed to get through the rest of the afternoon without messing up. As soon as training was finished, he got on his way towards Nyx's flat. Impatiently, he ran part of the way. But when he got dizzy, he slowed down again. There was no need to get impatient. Soon he would get what he needed. Nyx would take care of him.

When he finally arrived and rang the doorbell, his best friend opened the door, eyes widening in surprise. "You look _horrible_."

Without an answer, Gladio stepped past him and into the familiar room. The glaive closed the door behind them.

"Fuck me, Nyx," Gladio requested, already launching forward to kiss him. His lips missed their target as his best friend hold up his hand right between their mouths. 

"Whoa, calm down, eagle boy. What's going on?"  
"I need you," Gladio admitted, laying his hands on Nyx's hips. "Fuck me."  
"Time out!" Nyx said determined, taking a step back out of Gladio's grasp, avoiding his kiss _again_.

Anger was flaring up in Gladio once more. Was he getting rejected again? By Nyx of all people this time?

"What's wrong with you, man?" Gladio asked furiously.  
"Shouldn't _I_ be the one asking you that, eagle boy?" Nyx held up his hand, signaling Gladio to stop. His dark eyes were observing him, his body in a defensive stance, ready to push him away again, to _reject_ him.

Infuriated, Gladio used his full strength to press Nyx against the wall. He was trapping him between the broad frame of his body and the cold stone. The glaive hadn't expected such a resolute move, eyes widening in surprise. When Nyx tried to push him away, Gladio was already kissing his best friend's neck. "Fuck me," he whispered again, pressing his hips forward to rub against the other man.

"No," Nyx replied, his hands still pushing against Gladio's chest. He wasn't using his full strength, though. Gladio took that as a sign to continue.   
"Come on," he begged again, sucking on the other's neck as his hands traveled down to the hem of Nyx's pants.

" _Gladiolus_!" Nyx hissed sharply.

No nickname. 

Gladio stopped his movements.

"I've said _no_ ," the glaive repeated, and Gladio's eyes widened in shock.

_Shit._ What had he done now? He took his hands off of his best friend, tumbling a few steps back in horror. His legs collided with the armchair standing behind him, and he lost his balance, falling into it. As he sat sideways on the dark-green plush furniture, legs dangling from the armrest, he stared at his best friend in shock. 

The other still leaned against the wall, a frown darkening his face. There was nothing left of his usual playfulness, no smirk, no teasing look.

Guilt crept up Gladio's throat, shame eating him up from the inside. "Sorry. Sorry, Nyx," he stuttered as he buried his face in his hands. "Sorry, I just, I don't know. Sorry."

He heard a loud sigh and then footsteps. Nyx sat down on the other armrest right behind Gladio, putting a warm hand on his shoulder. "What happened, eagle boy?"

After a sharp inhale, Gladio held his breath. He didn't know what happened. He only knew that he had almost done something he would regret. 

"Come on. _Talk_ to me, so I can try to help," Nyx carefully pushed again while he soothingly rubbed his back. When Gladio kept quiet, his best friend added, "I knew something was seriously wrong as soon as I saw you. But I can't read your mind, eagle boy. Did something happen yesterday evening?"

A desperate laugh tumbled from Gladio's lips, his face still buried in his hands. 

"Shit," Nyx replied, noticing he had found the source of Gladio's miserable state of emotions. "What happened?"

"Nothing," Gladio huffed. "Nothing happened, Nyx. Iggy never called me, never picked up my calls, just rejected them, and never answered my text message."

His best friend inhaled shortly, the movements of his hand stopping, only resting on Gladio's back now. " _Fuck_."

"Yeah," Gladio confirmed. Cursing was the only thing left.

"I'm so sorry, eagle boy. I shouldn't have pushed you two into that situation," Nyx apologized, and Gladio's jumbled thoughts needed a moment to catch up with that.  
"No, no, no," Gladio turned around to look at his friend. "It's not _your_ fault."  
"But _I_ suggested-"  
"Nyx, no! It's not your fault that it's always one step forward and then two steps back again with Iggy." 

With a sigh, Nyx started to rub his back again. 

Now that Gladio had started to talk, it felt like a dam had been broken, his thoughts pouring out. 

"It had been fine at the beginning of the week. We've texted, wished each other a good morning, sent pictures of our coffee cups like-" Gladio broke off, the sweet memory suddenly bitter.  
"Like what? Like the newlywed couple that you aren't yet?"  
"We would live together if we were married," Gladio mentioned drily, but as Nyx gave him a deadpan look, he added with a groan, "Yeah, yeah, I know, what you mean."  
"Maybe you have skipped a few steps, eagle boy," his best friend suggested carefully.

Gladio turned his gaze away again, Nyx's warm hand resting on his back. "But he was fine with it."  
"Okay, we have learned that now. Pretty boy was fine with breakfast pictures, but not with phone sex. You've gotta admit there is a difference between these two."  
"I never know what he's okay with and what not," Gladio huffed in frustration. "I have no idea what he's waiting for either. He was so flirty on Friday, and now he's giving me the cold shoulder again."  
"He was _drunk_ on Friday," Nyx reminded him.  
"Feels like a drunken dream, yeah." Gladio took a deep breath, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I just can't take this constant back and forth anymore, Nyx. For how long does this have to go on? What's he waiting for?"  
"It's difficult for him," the glaive replied vaguely, and Gladio lost his patience again.

Turning around to sit in the armchair the correct way, he looked up to Nyx, still sitting on the left armrest. "It's not like it's easy for _me_ either. I know, I've fucked up in the first place, but why is it always me that has to make amends now?"  
"Hey now," Nyx reprimanded him. "He does as well. Do you really think he had gone out with us last Friday because he wanted to? I'm not saying he didn't have fun in the end. But he never would have entered this bar if it hadn't been for you."

Knowing that the other was right, Gladio groaned, burying his face again. 

"Did you hear anything from him today?" Nyx asked, his hand resting on Gladio's shoulder.  
"No! That's what makes me so angry. Iggy didn't want me to call with you, but then he rejected my calls and didn't even answer my text message tonight."  
" _Tonight_ ," Nyx repeated sternly, his grip on Gladio's shoulder tightening. "Please tell me you didn't spiral into negative thoughts again, wailing in self-pity all night?"

"Not just self-pity," he replied, knowing full-well that answer wasn't satisfying enough for his best friend to stop asking.  
"I want the full story, eagle boy."  
The sound that left Gladio was a mix of a groan and a sigh. Why did they have to talk about this now? "I've been stupid. I don't need you to remind me about it."  
"I haven't even said anything yet."   
"But you will."  
"Well, at least you start to realize this self-destructive nature of yours," his best friend remarked, and for a moment, Gladio hoped the conversation would be over with that. "So, what happened?"

Pleadingly Gladio looked up at his best friend, but the other didn't budge, gaze stern. With a sigh, Gladio gave in. "When he rejected my calls, I got angry. For a moment, I thought about calling you instead, but the mood was gone. I hadn't been thorough enough with preparation anyway. And then I just," he sighed, "I don't know. I was angry and frustrated, and just lay on the ground thinking, and suddenly it was the middle of the night."

Nyx started to rub his back again as Gladio continued his narration. "I tried to get things back under control and texted him, asking why he had rejected my calls. But he didn't answer. And then I was just furious. I went running to burn off that excess energy, but it didn't work. So I went back to have a drink, or maybe two." He broke off for a moment, trying to remember how much he had actually drunk. "I must have fallen asleep at some point cause the next thing I knew, my dad woke me up. I avoided his questions, puked, and went to work as a responsible adult should."

"Okay, no beer tonight," Nyx said as he stood up to put away the beer bottles he must have taken out before Gladio arrived. Instead, he poured him a glass of water. Gladio was thankful he hadn't handed him the whole bottle.

"And you haven't heard anything from pretty boy today?" Nyx asked as he walked over to the kitchen again. "Or from the prince?"

"Noct talked to me during my break. Probably because Prompto was worried," Gladio admitted with a sigh. "He said Iggy was in a bad mood, but he didn't know why."

"You could ask him if he knows something by now," his best friend suggested as he checked the contents of his refrigerator, probably looking for a drink for himself. 

Putting his water glass on the table, Gladio took out his phone to text the prince.

Gladio:   
_Is Iggy still super busy, or is he just ignoring my text message?_

Noct:  
_He is super grumpy and quiet. I'm still trying to figure out if it's because of work or if you have done something again._

Gladio:  
_I appreciate how protective you are of him, but I'm not always the bad guy._

Noct:  
_I know. Sorry, Gladio. I'll see what I can do._

It wasn't getting them any further, but Gladio had read out the messages to Nyx anyway. Looking up from his phone again, he noticed that the other had started his rice cooker and was chopping vegetables. "What are you doing?" 

"I'm cooking dinner for you," Nyx replied as if this were a mundane occurrence.  
"What?" Gladio was perplexed. 

His best friend turned around, pulling up an eyebrow as he explained. "You didn't sleep enough, drank too much, and as far as I know you, you haven't even eaten _anything_ today. Correct me if I'm wrong."

Gladio had opened his mouth to protest but closed it again as he realized that Nyx was right with his assumption.

"I knew it," the glaive turned back around, chopping carrots before he threw them in a wok. 

"I can just eat some cup noodles," Gladio mentioned, suddenly getting a bad conscience that his friend had to go out of his way to cook for him. Usually, they just ordered some fast food or ate before they met up.

"No, you need something decent after this day," Nyx replied, determined. 

"I could help-"  
"No," Nyx replied before Gladio even could get up. He continued to chop different vegetables while he talked. "Drink your water and try to calm down. Or keep talking about what's going on in your head. I don't want you to have another restless night. Maybe you should just stay the night. Only if you want to, I'm not trying to pressure you-"

The moment Nyx turned around, his eyes widened in shock as he mumbled, " _Oh, sweet Shiva_."  
Gladio only realized he had started to cry when his best friend suddenly straddled his lap, cupping his face with his hands, wiping a tear away with his thumb. 

"You're too good for me, man," Gladio said, voice broken as he leaned forward to rest his head on his friend's shoulder.  
"Nonsense."  
"I'm so sorry about earlier," he apologized again, still regretting it. How could he just jump him like that? Even if they had always been intimate with each other, they had drawn a line now. He shouldn't push it so recklessly. It was a wonder that their friendship hadn't taken any damage from that.  
"I forgive you," Nyx said like a true saint.

"I'm sorry," Gladio repeated as he hesitantly slung his arms around Nyx's warm body.  
"It's okay," his best friend whispered to reassure him while placing a kiss on top of Gladio's hair.  
"Thank you for being my friend," the younger one mumbled against Nyx's chest.  
The glaive snickered. "You are really sentimental right now."

There was a constant back and forth between them, Gladio apologizing and Nyx reassuring him that it was okay. It took a while, but eventually, Gladio managed to stop his tears. After placing a kiss on his forehead, Nyx got up again to go back to the small kitchenette.

Exhaustion had found his way to Gladio's body. Or maybe he had been exhausted all day but only realized it now. 

After a while, he spoke his thoughts. "I just can't take this much longer, Nyx. It feels like whenever things are getting serious, Iggy flinches away again. I don't know how long it's supposed to go on like that."

"Actually, I've literally asked him what he's waiting for," Nyx suddenly admitted.  
"Huh?"  
"During magic training yesterday," his friend elaborated as he put the last vegetables in the wok, turning on the stove.  
"Why do I feel like I won't like his answer?" Gladio gripped the dark-green armrests, afraid to hear an unpleasant truth.

" _He_ certainly didn't like the question. Usually, he has this stoic poker face, but he just grimaced and averted his gaze," Nyx explained as he put the rice from the rice cooker into the wok as well.  
"You're too persistent to let that stop you," Gladio remarked truthfully, and Nyx turned around shortly to wink at him.

"Eventually, he mentioned that he wants to take the next step but couldn't do so yet."  
"Why?" Gladio asked because that part was significant.  
"He's afraid, eagle boy. He's terribly insecure since he doesn't have much experience. And he's afraid to get rejected for it."

"So _he_ just rejects _me_ instead," Gladio huffed in disbelief.  
"That's not it, and you know it, eagle boy," Nyx said sternly. "I reminded him that we kinda talked about that on Friday and that no one judges him for his inexperience."

"He may not get around as much as we do, but it's not like he's a complete virgin either."  
"Do you _know_ that, or do you _assume_ that?" Nyx turned around, leaning against his kitchen counter.  
"I-" Gladio hesitated with a frown. "I think. I mean, look at all these fanfics."  
"Well, the last one showed that he either never got ridden by anyone or hadn't enjoyed it."  
"What?" Gladio blinked in confusion. He tried to remember the fanfiction he had read yesterday, yet he couldn't pinpoint where Nyx was coming from.

"It was from Liber's point of view, but he totally focused on how Aegis must be feeling," Nyx started to explain as he used a wooden spoon to stir the contents of the wok. "It was rather short as well as if he didn't know what else to write about such a situation."

Gladio was taken aback. He couldn't deny what Nyx had said, but he wasn't sure if his friend was interpreting too much into all that. 

"I think _pretty boy_ is the one who likes to ride people," Nyx continued his deduction, "or toys. He merely wrote it the other way around because I had promised you this present on Friday."

"I've gotta read it once more," Gladio admitted, already taking out his phone to load the page.

Nyx placed two plates and a bottle of soy sauce on the table by the time Gladio finished reading. 

"You're right," he admitted.

"As always," the glaive replied with a smirk as he pulled his other armchair close enough to put up his feet on Gladio's knees as he leaned back against the soft upholstery. 

Gladio had just taken his plate and placed his phone on the table when a sound signaled an incoming message. When he reached for it, Nyx stopped him. "Eat first," he said sternly, and Gladio couldn't disobey after his friend had gone out of his way to make them dinner.

He took a spoon full of rice, together with some onions, carrots, and broccoli. It was simple, yet it didn't taste bad. His stomach rumbled as if his body only now remembered that he hadn't eaten all day. 

"The carrots could be softer," Gladio mentioned teasingly and received a kick against his shin for it.   
"Spoiled rich kid," Nyx mentioned playfully, and they both laughed.

"It's tasty. Thanks, man," Gladio offered honestly.  
"You're welcome," his friend replied. 

There was another incoming message, but Gladio ignored his phone for now. They were eating in silence while he was pondering on their conversation until now. Even if Ignis felt insecure, it didn't help if he just _ignored_ Gladio. Iggy should know that. He was clever. Was he really that afraid of something? Of what even? It's not like Gladio expected him to be perfect or anything. Furthermore, he knew that Ignis hadn't much experience with dating.

"Speak your thoughts," Nyx prompted after a while. 

Gladio took another spoon full of rice and vegetables before he answered. "I know that Iggy is insecure and inexperienced, but how should I make it clear to him that it doesn't bother me? I really thought we had covered that topic last Friday."

"Hm," Nyx hummed in thought. "Maybe tell him about your first experiences? Maybe he forgets that you have been inexperienced once as well."  
"How should I even bring that up?" Gladio replied with a frown as his phone signaled another message. They both looked at his phone on the table but continued their conversation anyway.  
"Will you see the prince and Prompto again on Friday?"  
"I guess. Haven't heard otherwise yet."  
"Well then, just talk about it with Prompto. Isn't he curious and insecure as well? It might help Iggy when he realizes that he isn't the only one feeling like that."  
"Maybe, yeah. And even _I_ don't have much experience with long-term dating. Sometimes it feels like everyone forgets that as well," Gladio admitted.  
"That's a good point. This way, you can tell pretty boy that you are nervous about new stuff as well."

He had no idea if that would help, but it was a first step, at least. 

They finished their meal in silence, and Nyx put the plates into the sink while Gladio checked his phone.

Clarus:  
_I shouldn't worry or pry, but you are usually home earlier on a Wednesday. Especially if you have to catch up on sleep._

"Dad is worried about me," Gladio mentioned with a sigh. "I really must have looked terrible this morning."  
"You still do," his friend replied, and he gasped in surprise. "That's literally the first thing I've told you today."  
"Sorry, I had other things on my mind when I arrived," he mumbled, regret bubbling up inside him again.  
"Tell your dad you'll spend the night with me. No one has to worry about you when the great hero Nyx Ulric is looking after you." His voice had been playful, but Gladio still appreciated the offer - especially after Gladio's misbehavior at the beginning of their evening.

Gladio:  
_Sorry, I'm okay. I'm with Nyx since he won't be home tomorrow. I'll spend the night._

Clarus:  
_That's reassuring to know. Sorry for bothering you two._

Gladio:  
_It's alright, dad. Sorry for worrying you again._

Clarus:  
_It's okay._

Next, he read a text message from the prince.

Noctis:  
_I can't tell you or Iggy what to do, and I won't spill any secrets he's just told me. (Although it wasn't much anyway, he's way too closed-up. But I can guess.)_  
_Anyway, I told him that ignoring you won't solve anything._

Gladio didn't know what he had expected from Noct's answer, but somehow that didn't help him. Nyx had refilled their glasses with water when Gladio handed him his phone to read the message as well.

"Hm," Nyx replied thoughtfully.

"Yeah, that's as much as I thought," Gladio confirmed before he hesitantly added. "There was a message from Iggy. Kinda didn't dare to read it."

"Should I read it?" Nyx asked, Gladio's phone still in his hand as he stood next to the armchair Gladio still sat in.  
"Yeah."

Giving Gladio a moment to take back his decision, Nyx waited until he eventually turned his attention to the phone, navigating from one chat to the next.

Nyx grimaced, and Gladio immediately groaned. He knew he wouldn't like the answer.

"Well, you asked why he rejected your calls, and he answered, I quote, ' _I wouldn't have known what to say on the phone.'_ "

It felt like a bandaid getting ripped off. Gladio had waited almost 24 hours for an answer, but now that he had gotten it, it didn't bring any closure. It still hurt. Almost even more than before.

"You have to do something," Nyx said all of a sudden, locking Gladio's phone again before he set it back on the table.  
"For what?" Gladio huffed. "Each time I get one step closer, it's two steps back the next time."  
"You're exaggerating, eagle boy."  
"He left me high and dry!" Gladio got angry again.  
"Well, that wasn't nice of him yesterday, but-"  
"Don't give me that _but-_ bullshit," Gladio interrupted his friend furiously.   
"Hey," Nyx said, voice monotonous.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Gladio took a deep breath. "Shit, sorry." His temper had been getting the better of him once more.

"Let's move to the bed, that's more comfortable," Nyx suggested, already walking over to flop down on the soft mattress, his feet still on the floor. After a few seconds, Gladio got up to follow him, laying on his back next to him, looking up at the ceiling with the poster on it.

"But?" Gladio prompted softly after a while.  
Nyx needed a moment as if he had lost the thread of the conversation. "He fucked that up, but that's no reason for you to just give in. You have shown so much resolve until now, don't let that go to waste because of one night."  
"Easier said than done."  
"I know," Nyx whispered, taking Gladio's hand, his thumb rubbing circles over his skin.

"I have no idea what to do next. Except for that talk with Prompto, you suggested for Friday," he admitted, desperation making him restless.  
"The thing with pretty boy is," Nyx started to explain, "if you don't do anything, nothing will happen. But when you push him too far, he closes off completely. Like yesterday."  
"So?"  
"You've gotta push him while he stays in his comfort zone?"  
Gladio huffed, already overwhelmed by that conversation.

"What even _is_ in his comfort zone?"  
"Well," Nyx got up from the bed, walking around in his room as he kept speaking his thoughts. "Phone sex isn't as we know now."

"Never would have guessed," Gladio snorted as he leaned up on his elbows to watch his friend pace back and forth.

The glaive ignored that comment and went on, "Getting him drunk isn't the right way either, even if that had helped to overcome his inhibitions."

Even though Gladio knew that his friend was right about that, he couldn't help but remember how cute and flirty Ignis had been Friday evening. Everything had been so easy back then.

"You see him at the Citadel, but that's not the right place either. And rumors travel way too fast there," Nyx added truthfully.

"Coffee shop?" Gladio asked since they've had a good time there more than once already.

"No, too many other people," Nyx denied, grabbing his chin in thought, stopping his pacing.

"That leaves us with what?"  
"Invite him to your home," his best friend concluded, looking at Gladio.  
Sitting up, he frowned. "Isn't that too fast?"   
"Why? He knows your family, doesn't he?"  
"Yeah, but still," Gladio crossed his arms. "I'm not sure he would agree so easily."  
"Trick him into coming," Nyx suggested.  
"How?"

"I don't know," Nyx admitted sitting down on the bed next to him again. "Ask him to cook for you?"  
"I'm always eating his stuff at Noct's," Gladio explained until he suddenly remembered something.  
"Oh, you had an idea." Nothing escaped Nyx.  
"No."  
"Yes. Tell me."  
Gladio grumbled, still not sure if this was a good idea or not. "Iris visits a friend on Saturday afternoon and wants to bake some cookies to take with her. I don't know a thing about baking. The last time Jared had to do all the work, but he has no time before Saturday afternoon."

"Perfect. Ask Ignis for help. He wouldn't decline to help Iris."  
"I don't wanna trick him," Gladio sighed. After yesterday evening, he was afraid to scare him away no matter what he did.  
"Just mention Iris and the cookies and wait if he invites himself," Nyx suggested hopefully.

"As if he'd ever do that."   
"It doesn't hurt to try, eagle boy," his best friend smiled at him. "And there isn't much to lose since it can't get worse than it is now."  
"I suppose so," Gladio sighed.

"I think at home is the best environment for some progress. You won't be alone in the beginning. That might help to break the ice. And once the cookies are done, you two can go up to your room to see where things are going," Nyx elaborated, wiggling his eyebrows.

"That sounds good," Gladio had to admit.  
"Think you'll be able to sleep tonight?"  
"Yeah, thanks," he turned towards his best friend with a smile.  
"I could have helped you sooner if you had just called me yesterday," Nyx reminded him, teasingly.  
"I know, sorry," Gladio huffed before he added quietly. "Can we cuddle?"  
"Yes, you big softie," Nyx replied with a chuckle, invitingly opening his arms.

Gladio rested his head on his friend's chest, closing his eyes as mental and physical exhaustion made him tired. Nyx was stroking his hair and rubbing his back. 

It hadn't been intentional, but Gladio had fallen asleep almost immediately.

At some point, he had woken up again. Thankful for his bag with spare clothes and toiletries he always stored in the Armiger for emergencies, he used the bathroom before he cuddled back against Nyx's warm body in the soft bed, falling asleep again without any troubles.

The next morning, Gladio had to promise Nyx to call or text him to keep him updated. Since the glaive had no idea when he would be back from his mission on Saturday, they agreed on Sunday morning.

Yesterday's conversation, together with a long night's rest, had helped Gladio to be in a better mood. By now, he was determined to do everything he could to get Ignis to visit him at home. Fortunately, they would see each other first thing in the morning at a council meeting. From experience, he knew that the maids always served cookies. That provided him with the perfect opportunity to bring up the topic. He just hoped that Ignis wouldn't arrive too late.

Actually, he wouldn't take any risk and asked his prince for help.

Gladio:  
_Can you manage to get up early enough for Iggy and you to arrive 15 minutes early? Please. I've got a plan._

Noctis:  
_You'll owe me one._

Gladio:  
_Thanks, sleeping beauty._

He had a quick breakfast together with Nyx, just some bread and scrambled eggs, but it helped to steel his resolve. It was just like Nyx had said yesterday: Gladio had nothing to lose. It couldn't get much worse than it had been since Tuesday evening. And if he listened to that rational voice inside his head that wasn't drowned out by too many negative thoughts anymore, he realized that even if Ignis had backed out on Tuesday, the other was still interested in him. The last weeks had shown that. Therefore, Gladio would do everything he could to reach Ignis on a level the other felt comfortable with. And if that included tricking him into accepting a meeting at home, then he'd do it. The advisor could always back out again at the last minute. He was enough of a tactician to come up with a plausible reason to cancel plans. 

To set his plan in motion, Gladio went to the council meeting as early as possible. Honestly, he had no idea about its agenda, but that wasn't important now. The only thing that mattered was that he was the first attendant to arrive. Fortunately, Verecunda was the maid in charge today. Gladio had hoped it would be her since he knew her well enough. Unbeknown to her, she would be a perfect help for his scheme.

After wishing her a good morning and accepting a cup of coffee, he sat down at his designated seat. Picking up a cookie, he turned it back and forth, watching it from all angles. 

Even as he heard footsteps and two familiar voices exchanging greetings with the maid, he didn't look up.

"Why are you staring at that cookie?" Noctis asked eventually, and Gladio had to hold back a grin as he felt his trap snapping shut.

"I wonder what cookies are made of," he mumbled, never averting his gaze from the sweet treat, even though his heart longed to catch a glimpse of Ignis.  
"Dough?" Noctis supplied helpfully, although there was a frown on his forehead as he took his place at the other side of the table, directly opposite to Gladio.   
" _Astrals_ ," Ignis exhaled in sheer disbelief at their conversation, sitting down next to the prince. 

"They may taste _divine_ , but I think Noct's answer was closer," Gladio announced. "Cookies are made out of dough." 

By now, all three of them were staring at him. Gladio, however, kept his gaze fixed on the cookie in his hand. Out of the corner of the eye, he noticed Ignis -who wore his usual white dress shirt along with the black vest- silently lifting his empty coffee cup. Verecunda immediately walked over to him, pouring him a fresh cup of coffee. Considering that the day had only begun, Ignis already looked a bit too exhausted as he gratefully took a sip from his coffee.

" _Dough_ , huh," Gladio repeated, successfully gaining everyone's attention again. The other three looked at each other, silently debating what to make out of his unusual obsession with a perfectly normal chocolate chip cookie.

To his surprise, it was Verecunda who eventually dared to address the elephant in the room. "Is there something wrong with that cookie?"

"Oh, no, no. Don't worry," Gladio casually declined before his voice took on a more theatrical tone. "It's just, you see, my _dearest_ little sister will meet some friends on Saturday afternoon and has _promised_ to bring some freshly baked cookies with her. Unfortunately, our butler is busy otherwise until afternoon, so _I_ have to help her. But, let's be real," he sighed as he stared at the cookie in his hand again, "I know nothing about baking. I guess Iris won't be able to keep her promise with her friends."

"Oh no, that would be terrible," Verecunda replied, eyes watering up in empathy as she hugged her round serving tray.

"As a big brother, it breaks my heart to disappoint her. I'm sure she's going to _cry_ ," Gladio looked at the maid, his face full of sorrow.  
Verecunda gasped in shock, covering her mouth with her right hand. 

Dropping the cookie to the table, Gladio buried his face in his hands, desperately calling out, "If only I knew _someone_ who could _help_ us."   
"Um, well, you see," Verecunda stuttered, "if you need help, then I-"  
" _I'll_ come over on Saturday!" Ignis announced sharply, his coffee cup clattering loudly, as he set it back down on the saucer with too much force. There had been a hint of jealousy in his voice, and Gladio loved it.

Spreading his fingers, he looked through the gap at Ignis and Noctis. There was a smirk on the prince's face as he finally caught up on Gladio's plan. The advisor only realized what he had said when he noticed everyone staring at him.

Reaching across the table, Gladio grabbed Ignis's hand with both of his own. The other flinched, surprised by the sudden movement, but he didn't pull away. His hand felt so small trapped between Gladio's large hands.

"You will help me?" Gladio repeated happily. "Thanks a bunch, Iggy! You're the best."  
Since his plan had succeeded, he felt euphoric. Leaning forward, he placed a quick kiss on Ignis's fingers before he reluctantly let go of his hand.

"That's so nice of you," Verecunda said to a suddenly very flustered Ignis. "Now, the little girl won't have to cry!"

"Yes, Iggy," Noctis emphasized with a shit-eating grin. "How _nice_ of you to visit Gladio at home."  
"As thanks, you can stay for dinner," Gladio added since one should strike while the iron's still hot.

"Oh, that's so nice of _you_ ," the maid repeated, this time addressing Gladio.   
"Oh, that won't be neces-" Ignis tried to decline at the same time, but Noctis wouldn't let him.  
"What a _gentleman_ you are, Gladio. He gratefully accepts your invitation to dinner."

" _Noctis Lucis Caelum_ ," Ignis sharply addressed their prince, his piercing green eyes on the young man.   
"Son of King Regis, and 114th heir to the Lucian throne, that I am," Noctis recited ceremoniously. "Please state your humble request, oh son of house Scientia."   
" _You-_ " the advisor hissed before he bit down on his bottom lip.  
"Yes?" his highness asked, feigning innocence.  
"Nothing," Ignis answered eventually, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Noctis winked at Gladio while Verecunda looked a bit confused at this point of the conversation. Yet when Ignis quietly asked her for another coffee, she hurriedly refilled his cup.

Any further discussion of the topic wasn't possible as the first council members entered the meeting room. But from Gladio's point of view, everything had been discussed anyway. He had achieved his goal.

The meeting -boring as always- went on without any incidents. Afterwards, Ignis, Noct, and a few council members kept their place for the next conference while Gladio left. He spent the rest of the morning training on his own before he would be busy watching the recruits again this afternoon.

During his lunch break, however, his euphoria from the morning had already subsided. Sitting at his usual spot in the backyard, he nervously pondered if he had pushed Ignis too far out of his comfort zone again. Before his guilty conscience and dark thoughts could eat him up again, he took out his phone.

Gladio:  
_I'm sorry if I kinda forced you into coming over on Saturday._

Ignis:  
_I don't believe you lied about Iris needing help, did you?_

Gladio:  
_Of course not! She was pouting the whole day when Jared said he couldn't help her with the cookies._

Ignis:  
_Then you have no reason to fret. I will gladly help you out._

Gladio:  
_Thanks! Iris wants to leave around 3pm. I don't know how long it will take to make the cookies and when you wanna come over?_

Ignis:  
_Would around noon be alright for you?_

Gladio:  
_Sure! Thanks, Iggy, you're the best!_  
_And send me a shopping list for the recipe, so Iris and I can buy everything in the morning._

Ignis:  
_Any particular cookies she wanted to bake?_

Gladio:  
_Chocolate chip cookies._

Feeling better after that exchange, he tried to suppress the memory of Tuesday night. Ignis wouldn't keep him hanging again. Those were different circumstances. By now, he had even texted him the ingredients. For a moment, Gladio wondered if Ignis had looked up the recipe immediately or if he knew it by heart.

As he trained the recruits this afternoon, he made sure to smile more often, making up for yesterday's bad mood. Prompto was visibly relieved when he noticed that Gladio was back to his usual self - at least on the outside. Although the blond's attention didn't stay on him too long since they started to train hand-to-hand combat next, and Novus voluntarily paired up with Prompto. 

Gladio was glad these two seemed to get along well. Helping them and the recruits with their training made the time fly by unusually fast. At first, he hadn't been sure if he was cut out for this job, but he really was wrapped up in it now. It was fun to watch the trainees improve step by step.

After discussing a few adjustments he'd like to make with Cor, Gladio, for once, arrived home even after his father. Quickly, he joined his family at the dining table while Jared finished the last steps of dinner.

"I've got a surprise for you, Iris," he told her with a grin.  
"Really? What, what?" she asked him, already excitedly clapping her hands as she fidgeted in her chair.

"Iggy will visit us on Saturday to help you with these cookies you wanted," Gladio explained to his little sister. With every word, her eyes went wider, sparkling with joy. In the end, she jumped from her chair to give him a hug.  
"You're the best, big bro!"

Fondly, he chuckled, patting her small back with his large hand. Looking at his father, who had watched their exchange with a smile, he added. "I offered him to stay for dinner. Is that okay?" Only now did he realize he had done the exact thing his sister had: promising something before asking if it was even okay. Maybe that ran in the family. 

"Didn't you stop asking me for permission for _anything_ since you hit puberty? Although it is a rarity that you are inviting someone over. Why are you suddenly-" Clarus paused, his eyes widening until he suddenly mumbled in realization, " _Liber._ "

Gladio felt all color leaving his face as he slowly started to panic. _Shit._ Had it been that obvious? Before he even had the chance to say something, his father was already looking at their butler. 

"Jared!" Clarus called out as the older man placed a pot on the dining table. "Prepare a feast for Saturday! It's not often that we have a guest. I'll go grocery shopping for you. I can even help you to cook."  
"By all respect, sir: Shopping will be more than enough," Jared replied with a small bow. "I never again wish to see someone chopping vegetables with a sword."

"You can chop vegetables with a sword?" Iris asked excitedly. Letting go of Gladio, she looked at their father.  
"Lady Iris," their butler spoke firm yet friendly as he pulled back her abandoned chair, "please sit down and promise me to never use weapons inside the kitchen."  
She pouted but did as she had been told, sitting down. "Okay."

"Please excuse this nosy old man," Jared spoke up, his attention back on the men, "but is there a reason for this feast? Something to celebrate, maybe?"  
" _No!_ " Gladio exclaimed at the same time as his father said, " _Yes!_ "  
"No?" Clarus repeated with a frown. 

Confused, Jared's eyes went from father to son and back while Clarus was eyeing him minutely. Under the scrutinizing gaze of his father, Gladio panicked even more. Sometimes, it felt like the other could read him like an open book. Sliding down his chair a bit as if that would help him to escape, he suddenly felt ten years younger again, hiding to avoid his parent's lecture.

Everyone kept staring at him, expecting some kind of answer - even his sister, although she probably had even less of a clue about what was going on than Jared had. 

It's not like Gladio was hiding anything from his family, but he just didn't feel ready to tell them yet. There wasn't even anything to report, at least not now. Reluctantly he remembered that night some weeks ago when he had asked his dad for advice. He had already told him so much, it wasn't a surprise Clarus deduced that Ignis was the person Gladio loved and pined after. 

Anyway, there was no need for a celebration when they weren't even together.

"Not yet?" Clarus inquired carefully after a moment, and Gladio felt his cheeks heating up. Could his father read his thoughts, or how had he deduced that now?  
Knowing that there was no way out of this conversation anymore, Gladio nodded slightly.

"Oh," his dad mumbled in realization. "Well, that doesn't change a thing. He is always welcome, and we will treat him well. Jared, a feast! Prepare a shopping list for me. We will put our best foot forward."

"Very well," the older man replied with a slight bow. At least he had given up on trying to understand the secret topic of conversation shared between father and son.

While they ate, his father kept his eyes on him. Gladio couldn't shake the feeling that he wanted to say something else, but he held back. 

After dinner, Gladio excused himself, going up the stairs to his room. He didn't think anything of it, as his dad followed him. The other was probably just on his way to the bathroom. 

"Son," his father eventually said out of nowhere as they were both in the hallway upstairs. "I don't have to remind you to use protection, do I?"  
" _Dad!_ " Gladio exclaimed in sheer disbelief as he turned around, not knowing where the hell that topic was coming from all of a sudden. "I've been sleeping with all and sundry, and _now_ you mention protection?!"

"A bit late, yeah." Clarus rubbed his chin in thought as Gladio buried his face in his hands, muffling an ashamed scream. Why were these topics so embarrassing as soon as parents were involved? He had no trouble at all to talk about anything sex-related to Nyx or Prompto. But his father? No, thank you. 

"Don't worry, I know the facts of life," Gladio mentioned before his dad got the wrong idea. "That had been one awkward talk with mum," he added with a grimace. 

"I've never heard about that," his father confessed before there was a cheeky smile on his lips. "Knowing her, she probably threw a condom wrapper right at you."  
"She _did_ ," Gladio deadpanned, and Clarus burst out laughing.  
"Seriously?"  
"Yes. Mum barged into my room and threw it at me. I caught it on reflex, and once I realized what it was, I threw it right back at her in embarrassment." His father laughed once more as Gladio continued his narration. "She threw it towards me again, yelling that I should keep it since I would probably need it one day before she asked if I even knew what it was."

Retelling it now while he was older, Gladio realized how ridiculous the situation had been, joining his father in his laughter. "I had avoided her attack by jumping back, so that offensive neon pink wrapper kept lying on the floor between us while she gave me _the talk_."

"She really was one of a kind," Clarus mentioned, his smile fond yet not without melancholy. 

Suddenly, his father's gaze turned serious again. "I don't have to throw a condom wrapper at your sister, do I?"  
" _Astrals, no._ Please don't," Gladio quashed that idea at once. "I gave her a book, specially made for children, full of pictures and explanations. Even before she could read, she sometimes went to Jared with it, asking him to read for her."

"Good old Jared," his father sighed in relief. "What would we do without him?"  
"Chop vegetables with swords?" Gladio asked, happy for a chance to get back at his father after that embarrassing evening.  
"I'll let you have that one," Clarus replied approvingly. Then he added, "I'm glad you're looking better than yesterday morning."

"Yeah," he confirmed, rubbing the back of his neck. "And Nyx already gave me a lecture about my self-destructive nature, don't worry."  
"He's a good guy. Invite him over some time as well," Clarus suggested, patting Gladio's upper arm before he finally left for the bathroom.

Gladio exhaled a sigh as he was finally allowed to flop down on his bed, face first. That had been an exhausting evening. 

The rest of the day, he used his time to read that book he had picked up on Monday, grateful for a few hours away from real life as he delved into the story. 

On Friday, Gladio trained together with the recruits, teaching them how to overcome their weaknesses and enhance their strong points. 

While he was nervous about meeting Ignis tomorrow, he had almost forgotten their usual get-together at Noct's apartment tonight. After training and showering at the Citadel, he and Prompto set off together. On their way, they kept talking about training and the other recruits. Gladio noticed how much Prompto talked about Novus, but maybe that was to be expected after these two spent more and more time exercising together.

Once they arrived at Noct's apartment, they immediately noticed the tasty smell coming from the kitchen. To his surprise, Ignis had already put their dinner in the oven and was cleaning up the kitchen.

"You two are early today," Gladio voiced his surprise.   
"I didn't have any meetings this afternoon, and Iggy had no magic training," the prince said, "so I convinced him to leave early."

Somehow, Gladio had forgotten that Ignis had more time today since Nyx was away on a mission. However, it was still a surprise that Noct had managed to persuade his advisor to call it a day earlier instead of using the time for other tasks at work. 

"That's nice," Gladio replied with a smile.  
"Anything I can help you with?" Prompto asked the advisor, beating Gladio to it.  
"Don't worry, it's alright," Ignis replied, polite as always. "Why don't you have a seat and rest? You must be exhausted after a whole week of training."  
"You bet," the blond replied with a sigh as he flopped down on the couch next to Noctis. The prince, sitting in the corner of the sofa, shortly looked up from his phone.

Curiously, Gladio went to the kitchen, trying to catch a glimpse at the oven. "What's for dinner?"  
"Lasagne," Ignis answered while he picked up a towel to dry the dishes.

"Hey, hey, big guy," Prompto suddenly called out to him. "We've seen each other all week, but there hadn't been any chance to talk about the _interesting stuff_."

A snort left him as he went to the fridge to pick up a beer. "And what is this so-called _interesting stuff_?"

"You know what I mean," the blond replied, hugging a pillow to his chest as his cheeks already heated up.

Pulling back a chair from the dining table, Gladio angled it so he could see Ignis in the kitchen to his right, as well as Noctis and Prompto on the couch to his left. Leaning back, he took a sip from his cold beer. Afterwards, he grinned at his blond friend. "Nyx gifted me a vibrator with a suction cup this week. Is that _interesting_?"

Prompto's eyes went wide as he hugged the pillow even tighter. There were a million questions on his mind as he opened his mouth more than once, indecisive about what to ask first. "Since when, I mean, why, I mean, do you-"

"One question at the time, pipsqueak," Gladio laughed. "There is no time limit."  
Out of the corner of his eyes, he made sure to observe Ignis's reactions, but for now, there was nothing but his usual poker face. However, he only noticed now how tired the other looked. Apparently, Gladio wasn't the only one who's had a bad week.

"Since when do you like that?" Prompto asked, and Gladio was a bit taken aback by that question.  
"Since when do I like what? Sex toys?"

"Well, that or," the blond blushed, his voice getting quieter, "anything up your-" he broke off, vaguely gesturing with his hands.

"-up my ass?" Gladio added helpfully, and Prompto nodded eagerly. Still, that question was weird. The other knew well enough that he wasn't only interested in women.  
"You _do know_ that I like men," he mentioned, accentuating it like a question.

"Of course," the blond confirmed, "I just always thought that, well, that you are always the one who takes the other."

"Do I give off that vibe?" Gladio asked for real now, a frown on his face.   
To his surprise, it was Noctis who answered, shortly but firm. "Yes."

"Huh, I wasn't aware of that," he admitted, taking another sip from his beer. Suddenly, he realized that this was the perfect opportunity to follow Nyx's advice and address another topic. "Have I never told you about my first time with a man?"

"You haven't told me about your first time with a woman either," Prompto mentioned, but Gladio's attention was on Ignis, who had shortly looked up in interest.

Only when the advisor met his gaze again, pulling up an eyebrow in question, Gladio realized he had been staring.   
"Well," he said, looking back towards the two young men in the living room, "let me tell you in chronological order. When I was fifteen-"

"Fifteen?!" Prompto exclaimed in surprise, already interrupting Gladio's narration.  
"Yeah, I've started early," he confirmed.

"No wonder you are so experienced! We could never keep up with you," the blond exhaled a sigh, and Gladio didn't miss the sad smile that slipped on Ignis's face for a split second.

"It's not a competition," he explained. "There is no shame in starting later, or even never if you're not interested in sex." 

While Prompto hummed in thought, Ignis continued to dry the dishes. Noctis, however, had looked up for a moment, expression unreadable. But he just went back to playing King's Knight on his phone. 

"Anyway, when I was fifteen, there was someone named Prima. She was seventeen back then and the most popular girl at school. With her long blonde hair, blue eyes, and big tits, she was the living dream of any pubescent person interested in women."

"Sounds nice," Prompto answered dreamily. Whereas Noctis only looked up from his phone to shoot a frown at his best friend. 

"She was beautiful," Gladio continued to tell, a fond smile on his face as he remembered these days. "Everyone kept looking at her when she walked by, but one day she stopped in front of me, asking if I was free next Saturday."

"Oh my gods, _she_ was the one to invite you on a date?" There was surprise hearable in Prompto's voice.

"Yeah, she asked me out. I agreed. We went to the cinema together and then straight to her home, her room, her bed."

"You didn't even know her at all, did you?" Ignis suddenly spoke up, a bit reproachful.  
"We both didn't know much about the other, but back then, we didn't care," he shrugged. "We were together for three weeks, slept together a few more times until she broke up with me, saying I didn't have enough time for her since I was always busy training in the afternoons."

"Ouch, that's harsh," Prompto mumbled.  
"Yeah, that's how it is if you are in service of the Crown. I spent a whole day crying, refusing to eat anything after she had broken up with me. I guess that was the first time I really noticed my dad worrying about me."

Gladio felt a bit bad as he remembered how much he was worrying his father again these days. 

"If rumors are to be believed, it didn't take you long to find another girl," Ignis huffed.  
" _Aw_ , you already had your eyes on me back then?" Gladio asked, a teasing smirk on his face.  
"There wasn't anyone who didn't know about Gladiolus Amicitia, the heartbreaker," the advisor replied, successfully avoiding the question with a vague answer. Gladio would love to know when Ignis had fallen for him and if he had already been interested in him back then. Yet first, he had to correct a misunderstanding.

"Even though _I_ was the one who got his heart broken all the time."

Everyone looked at him in surprise, and he had to admit that he was a bit hurt by that reaction. He really thought they would know better. But then again, how should they?

"Well, I have to admit that I couldn't distinguish love from pure attraction back then, but I had been serious about every girl I approached. I gifted them flowers, invited them to dates, and we spent the night together. But it never lasted even a month. At some point, it would always go back to me not having enough time for them. They complained that I loved my job and the prince more than them. All these students couldn't grasp what it meant to have a duty to fulfill. I guess, in that sense, I was more mature than them."

"It's always difficult if people have different levels of experience," Ignis added gloomily.

"It doesn't have to be a problem if you really love each other. Everyone has some flaws, but these girls hadn't even tried to understand that I put a lot of passion and work into fulfilling my duty. They only selfishly cared about themselves, wanting to spend more time with their _boyfriend_."

"They didn't love you," Noctis added quietly yet unusually compassionately. If Gladio didn't know any better, he would think the prince felt guilty for all the time his shield had to put into training, even during his youth.

"No, they didn't love me," he confirmed. "And at some point, I had given up on ever getting loved. That's when I started to look for one-night stands instead."

"That's so sad, big guy," Prompto said, his eyes glistening with unshed tears. 

"It's okay. By then, I had already realized that I hadn't really loved any of these girls anyway."

Gladio took a sip from his beer at the somehow still bitter memory. Now that he thought about it, that had been a turning point in his life. Maybe everything would have been easier between him and Ignis if he hadn't picked up that lifestyle. But he couldn't deny that he had enjoyed sleeping with all these different people. It was easy and rich in variety. 

"I was already seventeen by that time," he continued his narration, "and somewhere along the way, I had noticed that I liked guys as well."

"How?" Noctis asked, and Gladio only now noticed that his prince had even put down his phone, attention on him. That was a rarity. Usually, Noct didn't care much about these topics.

"Hm," Gladio hummed in thought, crossing his arms as he looked up at the ceiling. "I don't know when exactly it started, but when I searched for porn, deciding which video to watch, I sometimes chose based on the man. At first, I didn't think much of it. Anyone would prefer a porn video with two attractive persons and not just one, right? But soon, I started to check out men in real life as well. I was still in denial until I somehow landed on a gay porn site, though."

"And at that point, you were sure of your attraction towards men?" Ignis wanted to know, as he sat down at the table next to him, a can of Ebony in his hands.

"Well, not sure, but interested enough to try it," Gladio responded, scratching the back of his neck. For a moment, he hesitated about how much he should confess, but somehow, he felt like talking. After everything that had gone south Tuesday night, he was left with an it-can't-get-worse-than-that feeling. 

"Picking up guys wasn't as easy as picking up girls, though. While some guys at school didn't look bad, they didn't really catch my interest. Furthermore, they only cared about girls. And even though they were around my age, they acted like children. Maybe I had grown up faster due to my duty. Anyway, there was another guy, not from my school, that acted more mature." 

Taking a deep breath, Gladio looked at Ignis. "He was a year younger than me but way more refined. He was so prim and proper that it irritated me. Deep down, I knew that this irritation was caused by attraction. I had more than one wet dream about riling him up until he was a panting mess, face full of emotion instead of that stoic perfect poker face he wore all the time. Sometimes I even dreamed about him teaching me some manners, taking me over the table, fucking me until nothing but moans and desperate cries of his name tumbled from my lips."

By now, Ignis's cheeks were shaded in a deep red color. With his can of Ebony held up in front of his face with both hands, he desperately tried to hide, but Gladio saw it anyway.

" _Astrals_ ," Prompto exclaimed, his whole face red as he squeezed _two_ pillows. "And then you had your first time with a man?"

"No," Gladio replied with a sigh, tracing the rim of his beer bottle with his thumb.   
"Huh?" the blond uttered in confusion. "Why not?"

"Believe it or not, even _I_ have been a coward when it came to my first crush on a guy." He paused to take another sip of his beer. "You see, this guy had never shown any interest in men or women or anyone. He never talked about sex or love or anything in between either. So I just thought he wouldn't be interested at all. And since it was someone I saw every now and then in daily life, I didn't dare to make things awkward."

A desperate chuckle tumbled from Prompto's lips before he whispered, "You have no idea how much I'm feeling that."

Gladio felt his heart clenching when he noticed the sad expression on Prompto's face. Noctis looked at his best friend as if he wanted to say something - but he didn't. Instead, he averted his gaze again. The prince was hard to read. Even Gladio sometimes wasn't sure anymore if Noct really had a crush on Prompto or not.

" _That guy_ ," Ignis suddenly spoke up, avoiding Gladio's eyes by looking at his can of coffee he had placed back on the table again, "really messed it up, didn't he?"

It was a harsh choice of words coming from the usually eloquent man. "Nah, that one was on me," Gladio immediately conceded. "I should have tried to make a move or talk to him, but I've been a _coward_." He intentionally repeated the same word he had used before. A coward: That's what Ignis had called Liber -referring to himself- when they had had that heart-breaking talk in the car six weeks ago. "I guess that just shows that these feelings had been too much to handle for me back then. So I took the easy way out by searching for someone else who'd catch my attention."

"Did you manage to find someone else?" Prompto asked.

"Somehow yes, but somehow no. Even today, if you ask about my preferred type in men or women, I will end up describing him. Not just his looks, but his character traits as well." The sound that left Gladio's lips was a mix of chuckles and sighs. He really had it bad. "Anyway, since I ran away from my true feelings, I tried to pick up someone else. Thinking back, that might have been a bit stupid, but I ended up strolling through the streets on a Friday night until I ended up in an area known for gay clubs."

It might have been four years ago, but Gladio still remembered that night very well. Closing his eyes, he saw the images of the past in his mind. "Since I was still seventeen, I couldn't get past any of the doormen. Instead, I walked through the backstreets until I got talked up by a guy probably twice my age. He looked fine and used his sweet voice, promising to take care of me."

"That sounds dangerous," Prompto interrupted him.

"It was, but I hadn't realized it at the time. Fortunately, the glaive that had been on watch duty in the area that night stopped that shady guy from taking me home with him. I yelled at him for interrupting us, but he managed to talk some sense into me. When he brought me home, he even came up with an excuse, so I wouldn't get into any trouble with my dad."

"That glaive-" Ignis mumbled, realization dawning on him.

"Yeah, that was Nyx. I had seen him at the Citadel on a few occasions, and we even had trained together once. But it was only after that day that I sought out his company more often. He offered to give me advice, saying it was safer for me to talk to him instead of meeting shady guys in dirty backstreets."

"So that's how you became friends," Noctis mentioned at the same time as Prompto said, "Then _he_ was the first guy you slept with?"

Gladio chuckled as he remembered these days. "We became friends, yes. Although he might have been a bit annoyed by my persistence back then. You see, I was desperately trying to seduce him once I knew him better, but he was adamant about keeping his hands off me as long as I was still underage."

"How old was he back then?" Ignis asked.

"Twenty-six," Gladio replied. "And while he answered all my questions about sex between men and about everything else, he didn't lay a single finger on me - until the night we partied into my eighteenth birthday."

" _Oh_ ," Noctis exhaled in surprise but didn't say anything else until Prompto prompted him. "Oh, what?"  
"I always wondered why a guy like Gladio hadn't partied into his eighteenth birthday but only had a party in the afternoon."

"Because I've been fucking and was getting fucked all night," Gladio emphasized with a dirty grin. The prince grimaced. "Spare us the details."  
"I want details!" Prompto exclaimed.

"One vote for details, one vote against details," Gladio summarized, using his forefingers to indicate the count. Looking at Ignis, he asked, "Your choice?" 

He didn't miss the short moment where the advisor looked at his prince, a silent exchange only through their eyes.   
"No details," Ignis replied eventually, and Gladio felt his euphoria dropping. He might have gotten lost in old stories along the way, but this was the climax he had been trying to reach. Nyx had advised telling Ignis about his first time, and Gladio hadn't been against the idea. If the other really was insecure because of his inexperience, it might have helped him to know that Gladio hadn't been much better off the first time either. But now, he had asked for Ignis's choice, and he had to accept his answer.

"Well, no details then," Gladio said reluctantly.

Prompto booed before he already threw the next question at him. "Have you been friends with benefits since then?"  
"Yeah."  
"Without ever starting a relationship? Why?" Prompto frowned.

"Well, because we never fell in love with each other," Gladio replied with a shrug. "There was a time, we talked about it, but we realized that we already had what we wanted with each other. There just never was any desire to take it further."

When Noctis spoke up again, Gladio was surprised. Usually, the other never took such an active role in these discussions. "How did you know that it was only friendship and not love?"

A fond smile slipped to Gladio's lips as he looked at Ignis. "Nyx simply wasn't the guy that made my heart beat faster. I never dreamed about going on dates with him, holding hands, whispering sweet nothings to each other. He wasn't the one I thought about when I read romance novels or watched romantic movies. He never was enough, and it were never his looks or character traits I looked for in other people when I picked them up. Don't get me wrong. Having Nyx as a friend is one of the best things ever happening to me, and I wouldn't wanna miss him. But while he does make my dick hard, he doesn't make my heart flutter."

Prompto burst out laughing at his last sentence, whereas Noctis only rolled his eyes. Ignis, however, was chewing on his bottom lip, expression unreadable.

"Must be nice to have a friend who makes your dick hard and even gifts you new sex toys," the blond suddenly mentioned, putting Gladio's attention towards him again. "Did you already test it? How was it?"

"Ah, okay, I guess?" Gladio replied, taken aback by that question. If he was honest, he just wanted to forget about Tuesday.  
"That doesn't sound as enthusiastic as usual," the blond realized.   
"Well, it hadn't been a perfect start since I was too eager and rushed preparation too fast, and then some stuff happened, and the mood just got killed before I even came," he admitted but almost regretted it as he noticed Ignis tensing up. Yet a small part of him was relieved that apparently Ignis at least realized that he had fucked that up on Tuesday.

Shaking his head, Gladio sighed. Those thoughts were ugly. Ignis had never promised anything on Tuesday. He and Nyx had pushed him in that direction. However, he still felt bitter that Ignis had simply ignored him instead of telling him that he was uninterested in phone sex for whatever reason.

"Well, I've been talking enough," Gladio mentioned as he looked at his friends. "Tell me about _your_ first times now."

" _Haha_ , very funny," Prompto replied, trying to look stern but only making a cute pouting face like Iris sometimes did.  
"Your first time with a sex toy?" Gladio added helpfully.  
"Well, that-" the blond blushed, fumbling with the cushions in his arms. "It was good."  
"Didn't hurt yourself?" Gladio asked.  
Prompto shook his head.  
"Nice. Had enough experience with fingering yourself already?"  
The blond nodded, hiding his face behind the cushions.

"What about you, princess?" Gladio asked, but Noctis only averted his gaze.  
"None of your business," the prince mumbled eventually, and Gladio almost winced as he noticed Prompto's disappointed expression.

"And you?" He asked Ignis, his heart already beating faster in anticipation.

But the advisor didn't even look at him.

"Iggy?"

Green eyes finally looked at him, but Gladio couldn't quite interpret the expression the other made. There was longing, but he also looked overwhelmed, nervous, almost anxious, and so vulnerable, almost close to tears.

"Iggy?" Noctis asked, standing up from the couch just as Iggy suddenly got up from his chair at the dining table.

"My apologies, I've gotta go," Ignis mumbled, already walking towards the door, but Gladio grabbed his wrist as he passed by his chair. "Wait!"

"Gladiolus, please let go," Ignis requested, and Gladio complied immediately, although reluctantly.

"Just put the lasagne out of the oven once the timer runs out," the advisor instructed as he left the living room.   
"Iggy, wait," Noctis ran after him, catching up with him at the front door. Gladio couldn't see them, but he heard them talking with hushed voices, not able to make out a word, though.

"Did we do something wrong?" Prompto asked, and Gladio dropped his forehead to the dining table with a groan.  
"I don't know."

After some dreadfully long seconds, he heard the front door closing. Noctis came back to the living room with a sigh. 

"What's wrong?" Prompto asked at once.  
"It's not your fault, Prom," the prince reassured his best friend, knowing that the blond always blamed himself.  
"Mine?" Gladio asked, exhausted, his head still resting on the table.  
"No, Gladio. Part of it is my fault, sorry," Noctis mumbled to his surprise. "And the other part is just Iggy being Iggy, I guess."  
"That's vague," he snorted.  
"Sorry. Tomorrow will be better."

He could only hope that Noctis was right about that. Gladio would break if tomorrow went south as well. This week was testing his patience and endurance.

When the timer went off, they put their dinner out of the oven, and soon their spirits got raised again. The lasagne tasted divine, and the three men spent the rest of the evening with videogames.

When Gladio woke up the next morning, he was way too tired. He had come home late from his gaming night with Noctis and Prompto, and even then, he had trouble falling asleep since he had been too nervous.

It wasn't the first time that Ignis came to his house, but it sort of was their first date at home. If it was even to be called a date. 

His father had promised to go grocery shopping with Iris in the morning, picking up everything Jared needed for dinner and all the ingredients Ignis had listed for the cookies.

Right, the cookies.  
Could it really be called a date at home when they were spending time with his sister? But that was only the beginning. When the cookies were done, and when Iris was gone to visit her friends, they would have plenty of time on their own until dinner was ready.

Actually, Gladio had no idea what to do during that time. Should he prepare anything? They could watch a movie, play some video games or board games, or just talk, or-

No. Gladio shook his head. They wouldn't make out. By their current pace, they probably needed another few months until they finally got intimate. Furthermore, Ignis seemed like the type to confess first and get physical later.

Jolting up, Gladio looked around his room: books everywhere, dirty clothes on the floor, empty cup noodle containers, dumbbells in front of the door, used tissues, dust on every surface.

_Shit._

He was so used to living in this mess that he had forgotten about it. Ignis, however, would be highly disappointed when he saw that. In the past, Jared had regularly cleaned his room. But when Gladio had gotten older, he had started to value his privacy and had taken over the task himself - or not.

Hastily, he got out of bed in his boxershorts to grab one of his washed-out but favorite t-shirts from his wardrobe. Comfortable clothes were the first step to a successful cleaning session.

Checking his phone, he only now realized that it was almost eleven. Since Ignis was always on time, that left him about an hour to get everything ready before noon. 

He needed to be quick but shouldn't panic. Yet, who was he even kidding? He already panicked.

At first, he drew back the curtains and opened the window to let in some air. Next, he changed the bedding while he desperately tried to quell any ulterior motives. 

Once he was done, he picked up the dirty sheets together with his dirty clothes and brought them all to the washing machine in the basement. They weren't clean, but at least they were out of the way. 

On the way back up to his room, he picked up a cleaning rag and bucket. Dusting wasn't his strong point, but it needed to be done. Yet as he stood in his room with the wet rag in his hand, he realized that he should finish tidying up first. It was difficult to clean with all this stuff lying around. 

With a sigh, he went back down to fetch a trash bag. After picking up all the trash, he tied up the bag and placed it next to his door for the moment. 

Next, he put his books back on the shelves except for the one on the nightstand that he hadn't finished reading yet. Crossing his arms, he studied his bookshelf. There was no particular order, and he suddenly felt like he would be dishonoring all these masterpieces. With a frown, he picked up a few books. How should he organize them? By genre? No, that would take too much time now. Maybe alphabetical by author? And by title, if he had more than one book from one author. Or chronologically? By title would be faster, but it didn't feel right, so he decided against it.

Once he was done rearranging his whole bookshelf, he proudly looked at his work: way better than before.

Finally, he used the cleaning rag for dusting. Since he was hurrying, he missed a few spots, but it would have to be enough. 

Just as he left his room, he heard the doorbell ringing. Quickly, he put his cleaning rag and bucket in the bathroom.  
"Gladiolus!" his father called from downstairs.  
"Coming!" he replied as he ran down the stairs. 

Just a little bit out of breath, he opened the front door.   
" _Hi_ ," he said as he halfway leaned against the doorframe, trying to act cool.  
"Hello," Ignis replied, eyeing Gladio over from top to bottom with a scrutinizing look. "Did you just wake up?"

"Put on some pants, you stupid brother!" Iris exclaimed behind him, and Gladio felt all color leaving his face as he froze in place.

_Fuck._

He had intended to change his clothes, do his hair, and brush his teeth after a shower, but he had totally forgotten about that.

" _Oh, for the love of Shiva_ ," his father cursed, grabbing Gladio by his shoulder, pulling him back inside while he took his place at the door frame, blocking his son from their visitor's view. With the hand behind his back, Clarus indicated him to leave.

"Ignis," his father said softly, "it's so good to see you. Welcome to our home."

Gladio was running up the stairs. In the distant background, he heard how his father insisted that Ignis dropped the formalities before he offered him some of the guest slippers. His heart was pounding like mad as he opened his wardrobe, staring at his clothes. Ignis had been in his usual attire: black dress pants and vest, white dress shirt. Gladio had no idea what to wear. After Ignis had seen him in his underwear and with bed hair, it would be weird to dress up too much now. He should try to stick to a casual look - but _with_ pants this time. Even at the Citadel, since he was working out most of the time, he often wore comfortable training clothes. It was a look Ignis should be used to. With a sigh, Gladio decided on his new long-legged gray sweatpants together with a black muscle shirt. 

With clothes in tow, he went to the bathroom. As the hot water of the shower rained down on him, he sighed. How had he managed to mess up this date after just a few seconds? That wouldn't have happened if he had just set up his alarm clock before going to bed. 

He was mad at himself, but regret wouldn't make things undone. Therefore, he tried to look forward.

After combing his wet hair back, he brushed his teeth, put on his fresh clothes, and went down to the kitchen. 

His sister and Ignis already had their sleeves rolled up as they currently weighed out the flour. Iris was wearing a white dress with red dots on it and her frilly pink apron on top of it. She was standing on a small stool, a large package of flour in her tiny hands. Ignis helped her to pour the contents into the bowl that rested on a kitchen scale. It was a lovely sight.

His father stood up from his chair at the small kitchen table, pressing a cup of coffee into Gladio's hands with a stern gaze. He wasn't happy about his son's earlier mishap, but he spared him the lecture - for now.   
"I'll be in my study to finish some work."

"Alright," Gladio replied, nodding thankfully at the coffee as his father passed by him. 

"Gladdy, Gladdy!" Iris exclaimed excitedly. "Ignis has brought Kupoberry Cheesecake as a dessert for tonight! It's in the fridge!"  
"Careful with the flour, Iris," Ignis said as he took the package out of her hands. She had kept on pouring out the white powder while looking at her brother.  
"Oh!"

"That wouldn't have been necessary, Iggy," Gladio replied, although there was a fond smile on his face. That was so typical for the advisor. "You are already baking cookies for us."

"Oh, not all. Iris is doing almost everything on her own, right?"  
"Yes! Look, Gladdy," his little sister enthusiastically showed him the current contents of their mixing bowl. If Ignis hadn't grabbed the bowl on reflex, it would have gone flying out of Iris's little, floury hands.  
"Careful, you little whirlwind," Gladio said with a chuckle, causing his sister to stick out her tongue.

"Have we weighted out enough flour already?" Ignis asked, successfully gaining the little girl's attention again.  
"Oh, no. Not yet," Iris replied, and together they added more flour to the bowl.

"You're surprisingly good with kids," Gladio mumbled after taking a sip of his coffee.   
A short snort left the advisor, and he pulled up an eyebrow. "What did you expect after I more or less grew up together with Noct?"  
"Touché!"

They both laughed, and Gladio was happy that his little mishap earlier hadn't messed up the whole day. Still, it bothered him. "Sorry about earlier," he said, scratching the back of his neck.

"Again, I'm used to Noct. I've seen worse after waking _him_ up," the advisor smiled. Gladio was surprised about this good mood. Although he wasn't sure if Ignis was only putting up a front since other people were present. As the royal advisor, he was used to metaphorically wear a mask all the time. Although no laugh or disguise managed to conceal the dark circles under his eyes. 

Opening the fridge, Gladio looked at the cake Ignis had brought. As expected, it wasn't bought but home-made. It looked white, creamy, and soft with a variety of mixed berries on top.  
"The cake looks delicious, Iggy. I hope you didn't stay up all night to bake it."

"Oh, no, don't worry. Not _all_ night," the other replied reassuringly, but Gladio hadn't missed the slightly desperate undertone.  
"Don't eat it!" his sister ordered strictly.

"I'm not eating it. I just took a look," Gladio defended himself.  
"You always eat my pudding!" she complained with a pout.  
"That was _one_ time," he replied, closing the door of the fridge again. " _You_ are cheeky today." Even though he loved his little sister and could never be mad at her for long, she had the tendency to act up when others were present. Not that they often had guests. 

Crossing her arms, Iris held up her chin as she got up on her toes to appear taller. "I'm not cheeky! That is just the rebellious nature of puberty!"  
"You're _eight_!"  
"Maybe I'm an early starter!"  
"You're a little brat! And what kind of books have you been reading again to know such words?!"  
"Very inlectual books!"  
" _Intellectual_ ," Ignis whispered as he leaned down to her.  
"Intellectual books," she repeated as if she hadn't messed up that word before.

"Two against one isn't fair," Gladio replied, crossing his arms.   
"You're just a sore loser," she retorted, sticking out her tongue again.  
"Can't blame me for that one. It runs in the family."

They kept glaring at each other with their arms crossed until Ignis leaned down again, whispering something to Iris again. This time, Gladio couldn't make out the words. Iris blinked in surprise before she grinned.   
"Okay, end of the discussion," she announced suddenly.  
"Giving up?" Gladio asked in surprise.  
"The wiser head gives in," she happily recited what -without a doubt- Ignis had just told her.

When his sister cheerfully gave Ignis a high five, he couldn't even be mad at them anymore. With a sigh, he pulled back a chair to sit down. Right elbow on the small kitchen table, he rested his head on his hand as he observed these two. Ignis was a real gentleman and a very gentle teacher, having no trouble to keep the bundle of energy that was his sister under control. Lulled in by this domestic scene, Gladio felt his heart beating faster as he fell even more in love with the man in front of him. 

When Ignis peered over his shoulder to smile at him, Gladio returned the gaze, full of emotion. The smile on his face must have been dopey, but he didn't care. With a blush, Ignis turned back around. 

"Why don't you help us instead of just sitting there?" his sister suddenly demanded and broke the moment.  
Rolling his eyes, Gladio just took another sip of his coffee.  
"Hey! Don't ignore me," Iris complained, hands on her hips. Her pink apron had turned white by now with all the flour she had whirled up today.  
"Iris, if you want something, you should ask _politely_ ," Ignis explained.   
After a short pout, she gave in. With big eyes, she looked at her brother. "Gladdy? Can you chop the chocolate? Please."

Who could ever say no to that?  
"Leave it to me," he replied as he got up, walking over to the kitchen counter. "Just cut it into tiny pieces?"  
"Yup!" she affirmed.

To verify her instructions, he looked at Ignis, who nodded at him in confirmation.   
"Oh, there is some flour on your face," Gladio mumbled in realization, and before he knew it, he had cupped Ignis's cheek. With his thumb, he softly grazed the pale skin, wiping away the white powder. A blush found its way to Ignis's face, and they both took a step back to break the touch. "Sorry," Gladio mumbled.

"What have you done _now_?!" Iris asked, looking between the two of them in confusion.  
"Nothing," Ignis reassured her.   
"Tell me if he ever molests you!" Iris instructed, and Ignis blinked in confusion.   
" _Molest_?! _Ifrit's balls_ , Iris," Gladio cursed. "Where the hell do you pick up all these words?"

Before she could answer, Ignis started to laugh. Not just a small, polite chuckle, but waves of laughter tumbling from his thin lips as he almost laughed himself to tears. The siblings both stared at the unusual spectacle.

"My apologies," Ignis replied when he had calmed down again, taking off his glasses for a moment to wipe his eyes. "I do have a hunch who she takes after."

They both needed a moment to process that statement before their eyes widened, and they spoke up in unison.  
"I'm nothing like her!"  
"I'm nothing like him!" 

Since Gladio had slammed his fist on the counter to emphasize his statement, he had whirled up another cloud of flour, covering him in the same white veil as his sister. More chuckles left Ignis's lips before he eventually reached out to wipe some flour from Gladio's nose.

"I was wondering if I could leave you alone with these two monsters," Clarus suddenly said, standing in the door frame with his empty coffee mug. "So I really hope this isn't the laughter of desperation."

Quickly, Ignis pulled back his hand. "Oh no, it's quite alright," he reassured the master of the house.  
"Just tell me if one of them starts to molest you," Clarus mentioned.  
"Dad!" Gladio turned around in shock as he realized where Iris had picked up these words. "You can't talk like that. Iris sucks up these _fucked up_ words like a sponge."   
"What's wrong with sucking and fucking?" Iris asked, innocently as she was.   
"Stop talking yourself into even more trouble!" Gladio exclaimed while Clarus pinched the bridge of his nose with a sigh.  
"I am terribly sorry that you have to put up with _this-_ " he pointed at his children "-during your day off, Ignis."  
"It's a welcome change," the advisor replied politely.

The siblings had kept on ordering each other to be quiet while getting louder with every back and forth.  
"Gladiolus, if you would chop the chocolate now, please," Ignis instructed. "Iris, be careful when you add a teaspoon of baking powder next."

They both shut up and concentrated on their task.   
"That's amazing," Clarus said in awe after he had poured himself another cup of coffee.  
"It's nothing," Ignis replied humbly.  
"No, it's extraordinaire. It would be reassuring to have someone like you here all the time. How about marrying into the family? Iris is a bit young, but what about my son-"  
"Dad!" Gladio exclaimed, blushing almost as much as Ignis, who had lost his tongue.

"Are you getting married?" Iris asked, eyes wide. "I wanna be a bridesmaid with a cute dress!"  
"No, we-" Ignis eventually stuttered but broke off again.  
"Think about it. I wouldn't be against it," Clarus said with a wink before he left the kitchen again. 

"Finish your dough," Gladio said when Iris didn't stop staring at him. With a pout, she complied, and he looked at Ignis. "Sorry about-" he vaguely gestured at his sister and the door through that his father had just left "-everything."  
"It's alright," Ignis whispered, his cheeks still red, as he shifted his attention back to helping Iris with the dough.

When Gladio had followed Nyx's advice to invite Ignis home, he hadn't considered how exhausting his family could be. However, the beautiful smile that graced Ignis's face looked genuine. Therefore, he couldn't have messed up completely.

With a smile on his own, Gladio chopped the chocolate into tiny pieces. They mixed it together with the dough before they all began rolling it into little balls they spread out on baking paper. With sparkling eyes, Iris sat in front of the oven, watching the cookies bake. At the same time, Gladio offered Ignis another cup of coffee.

Once the first baking sheet of cookies was done, Ignis had managed to convince Iris that tidying up the kitchen was part of baking cookies as well. 

By the time they took the last cookies out of the oven, the kitchen was clean again. As if drawn to the delicious smell, Clarus came out of his study just as Jared arrived at home. 

The two older men shooed Gladio and Ignis out of the kitchen with a plate of cookies and something to drink. Clarus was walking Iris over to her friend's house for the afternoon while Jared started to prepare dinner.

Trying to be a gentleman, Gladio carried everything as he led Ignis up the stairs. His heart was starting to pound a bit faster as he realized that they would finally be alone now.

Since his hands were full, he used his elbow to open the door to his bedroom - and his eyes immediately fell on the tied up trash bag he had forgotten next to the door. "Oh, just ignore that," he instructed as he threw a death glare at the black plastic bag. Due to this, he didn't look where he was going. Which only dawned on him as he bumped his toe on one of the dumbbells lying on the ground. "Ouch!" he exclaimed as he took a few quick steps to catch his balance again. At least, he hadn't dropped their cookies. "Don't trip over that."

"Are you alright?" Ignis asked, his voice worried yet a bit amused as well.   
"Totally fine," Gladio replied, ignoring the pain radiating from his little toe. Setting everything he had carried down on his desk, he pointed around the room once. "Welcome to my lousy, small room. Feel free to take a look around."

"It's not lousy," Ignis replied, but Gladio knew it was only the modest answer to be expected from a royal advisor. 

Quickly, he grabbed the trash bag and placed it in the hallway outside of his room. Out of sight, out of mind. 

Next, he picked up his dumbbells and placed them all in the corner. Ignis had walked a few steps and was checking out his bookshelf now. Not that Gladio's room had much more to offer: his bed with the headboard against the wall, one nightstand left and one right of it, a plant that definitely needed more water in the corner, a desk with his laptop on it beneath the window on the wall right of the bed, a sideboard next to the bookshelf -both on the opposite side of the room than his bed- and his wardrobe next to the door. Suddenly, he realized that he didn't even have two chairs in this room. What kind of host was he if he hadn't even thought of that? 

"You're collection is marvelous."   
Ignis's words put Gladio out of his thoughts, and he walked over to the other man. "Yeah?"  
"Yes. There are even some books I haven't read yet. About one-fifth of them."  
"You could tell that much so fast?" Gladio sounded impressed.   
"Of course. You have the books organized neatly: chronologically by author. That makes it easy to get an overview."

Silently Gladio thanked his past self for taking the time to, at least, tidy up his bookshelf this morning.   
"Feel free to read whatever picks your interest," he offered.  
"Thank you. I might come back to that offer in time," Ignis replied before he cheekily pulled up an eyebrow. "Unless you had planned to spend this afternoon reading?"  
"Ah, no, I didn't mean _now_ ," Gladio answered with a somewhat awkward laugh. What had he even planned for this afternoon that didn't involve ulterior motives? 

"No need to keep standing here, take a seat." The words had left his mind before his brain had remembered the fact that he only had one chair in his room. On the rare occasion that he had a visitor, they usually spend their time in the living room. Or naked in his bed, but that thought alone was bordering on ulterior motives again. Not that he didn't long to see Ignis in his bed, but he had learned the hard way that pushing the other too far too fast always backfired. 

"Is something wrong?"   
"No, nothing," Gladio replied on reflex. As he turned around, he realized that Ignis had indeed sat down on the left side of his bed with a straight back, feet still on the ground. Even though there was at least _one_ chair at his desk. Taking in a sharp breath, he averted his gaze again. He needed to cool off.

"Want something to drink?" Picking up the water bottle, Gladio only now realized that he didn't bring any glasses or cups. "Oh, I forget to bring glasses." 

Before he could leave to fetch some, Ignis had already spoken up again.  
"It's okay. I don't mind sharing."   
The reply had surprised him, but he rolled with it.  
"I don't mind either. Nyx and I do it all the time." When he noticed something dark flash behind Ignis's eyes, he immediately added, "Although it's different with you. With you, it's like an indirect-" he broke off before he talked himself into trouble.

Feeling caught, the other averted his eyes. "My apologies, I hadn't intended to-" Ignis bit down on his lip.  
"-be jealous?" Gladio carefully completed the sentence.  
"Yes, that. It's improper."  
"I don't mind since I know that you meant no harm. It's cute," Gladio admitted with a whisper. " _Sexy_. Makes me feel wanted."

At a loss for an answer, Ignis cleared his throat before he chewed on his bottom lip once more. 

Unscrewing the bottle, Gladio took some large gulps of water. 

During this time, the other had taken out his phone. A small chuckle left Ignis as he looked at the device.

"Hm?"   
"Noct texted me," Ignis replied, holding his phone towards Gladio. 

Noctis:  
_Tell me if he does anything stupid! I'll enact a royal decree to banish cup noodles from the country._

" _Fuck_ , he knows my weakness," he stated as he sat down on the right side of his bed.  
" _Language_ , Gladiolus." It was a playful reprimand.

He groaned. "Can you blame me for that after growing up in this house?!"  
"No," the other chuckled.

"But don't worry, Noct has nothing to worry about," Gladio mentioned with an honest smile, hand on his chest. "I promise to make you happy without doing anything stupid, now and forever."  
"That sounds like a _wedding vow_." Ignis snorted.

" _Astrals_ , please forget my dad had mentioned that." Gladio buried his face behind his hands. Why did his family have to be that embarrassing?  
"It's okay. I can take a joke."  
"No," Gladio said with a stern gaze. "That wasn't a joke."  
"You think he-"  
"He has been serious, trust me."  
" _Oh my gods_ ," Ignis mumbled, pressing his hand against his mouth as he blushed deeply.  
"Sorry for bringing it up again." Rubbing the back of his neck, he watched how the tips of Ignis's ears had turned red as well. That reaction was so cute, but he wouldn't want to break the other by overheating him. "Change of subject?"  
"Yes," was the immediate, grateful reply.

Having regained his composure, Ignis sat further back on the bed, resting his back against the headboard. Thanks to the movement, Gladio could see the left nightstand of his bed again. "Ah, I've picked up a new book on Monday." He nodded towards it.

"May I take a look?" Ignis asked politely as ever.  
"Sure." 

Gladio let out a small sigh of relief. Today had been embarrassing enough already. Talking about books was a welcome change.

However, when Ignis picked up the book to take a closer look, the magazine that had lain -forgotten- beneath it fell right into his lap. Gladio only realized what had happened when the other read the headline out loud.

"Unraveled: How to turn your prim and proper office guy into a blissed-out mess-"   
"No!" he exclaimed, throwing himself to the other side of the bed, grabbing the porn magazine. As a result, his chest lay on Ignis's lap, while his head and arms dangled from the bed. 

He felt the other flinch in surprise beneath him, dropping the book back on the nightstand. Quickly, Gladio opened the drawer of his nightstand to put the magazine away. Using too much force, his bottles of lubes, condoms, and sex toys cluttered loudly at the sudden movement.  
"Quite the collection," Ignis mumbled against the hand pressed over his mouth.

"Let me explain!" Gladio exclaimed, an unusually high pitch to his voice as he got back to his side of the bed.   
"Explain what?" Ignis chuckled, and he blinked in confusion. While Ignis's face was covered in a deep blush, he didn't look uncomfortable.

"Gladiolus. I would be more surprised if you _didn't_ own any of these things. Although I must admit that I'm wondering if you are trying to suggest something or if you merely forgot to tidy up your room."  
"I _forgot_ I'd picked that up on Monday as well, I swear!"  
"I'm surprised someone still buys naughty magazines these days."  
"Well, I like to read books and stuff. And the guy on the cover reminded me of-" his eyes restlessly darted around as he broke off his sentence.

"You are unusually _nervous_ today," Ignis mentioned what he must have realized a while ago, "almost shy."  
"And _you're_ surprisingly forward," Gladio countered with a frown, yet his gaze once again fell on the dark circles beneath Ignis's eyes, "and exhausted." 

"Being sleep-deprived makes me careless while it's difficult to keep up my walls. It's a very similar state to being inebriated." 

It was a reasonable explanation.  
"It's not that I dislike that state, but I'm a bit worried about you. Why didn't you get enough sleep?"

With a sigh, the other avoided his gaze. Gladio knew that Ignis was trying to dodge the topic, but he kept looking at him, determined to hear his answer. Eventually, the advisor gave in. 

"First of all, even though you probably won't believe it, I had to bake that cheesecake _twice_."  
"What? Why?" It was unusual for an excellent cook like Ignis. Furthermore, Gladio felt a bit guilty. If he hadn't invited him over, the other wouldn't have had to miss out on his sleep to bake the cake. Although no one had asked him to bring over a home-made dessert in the first place.

"I had kept the first one in the oven for too long," Ignis admitted with a click of his tongue, annoyed at his own mistake. "A Kuboberry Cheesecake is supposed to be white, yet that one had turned brown."  
"Not that I'm expert, but I'm pretty sure as long as it hadn't burnt down to black crips, it still would have tasted fine."  
"Of course," Ignis confirmed with a nod. "I have dropped it off at Noct's apartment this morning."  
A snort left Gladio. "So it was good enough for Noct, but not good enough for tonight?"  
" _Gladiolus_ ," Ignis said sternly, and Gladio felt a shudder run down his back. _Gods_ , he loved it when the advisor said his name like this. "It is the first time I'll be having dinner with your family. I couldn't possibly show up with a burnt cake."

"Always the perfectionist," Gladio replied with a small smile, knowing full well that it was impossible to convince the other that it wouldn't have been necessary to bring anything at all. "I guess it takes a lot of time to bake two cakes."

"It does," Ignis confirmed, "especially if you have to buy new ingredients after the first failure."  
"It can't be a failure if it's still good enough for Noct," Gladio frowned. He knew the other accepted nothing but perfection, yet that was going too far.  
"Maybe," the other replied vaguely to avoid further discussion of the topic.

Crossing his arms, Gladio studied Ignis's face. These circles under his eyes weren't from only a little lack of sleep. Furthermore, he had already been in a similar state yesterday and the day before.  
"That's not all that has kept you from sleeping," he deduced.

Clicking his tongue, Ignis averted his eyes. "I just couldn't fall asleep."   
"Why?" Gladio prompted softly. 

There was another pause, but he waited patiently.  
"I couldn't stop thinking."  
"About what?" Step by step, he carefully pushed the other.   
"Many things: us, Noct, work," Ignis listed while his eyes were everywhere in the room but not on Gladio. 

_Us._  
Gladio felt his heart warming up at that little word.

"These councilmen will be the end of me one day," Ignis mumbled to himself, but Gladio had heard it nonetheless.  
"Nah, you're stronger than that," Gladio said, but Ignis only sighed. "Tell me what they've done this time."

Taking off his glasses, Ignis eyed them with a scrutinizing gaze. Next, he blew some air at the lenses, a small, faint cloud of flour flying off. Putting them back on again, he finally looked at Gladio.  
"I don't want to bother you with this on your day off."

Gladio snorted. "You don't bother me. And besides, you are supposed to relax on your day off as well. And knowing you, you can't do that as long as all that is on your mind."  
"You know me too well." The confession was nothing more than a whisper.

"I'm glad I finally do." They smiled at each other. "Come on, let me massage your shoulders for a bit while you rant about these idiots."

"You really don't have to-" Ignis tried to deny his offer, but Gladio had already moved closer, putting his hands on slender shoulders. With just the right pressure, he started to massage them. "Actually, no, yes. Please continue to do that."

They adjusted their sitting positions. Ignis sat cross-legged in the middle of the bed while Gladio kneeled behind him. 

"I won't stop as long as you keep telling me what kept you up last night," he prompted softly.  
"Alright, you got me," the advisor eventually gave in, enjoying the massage. After a short moment, he started to talk. "Sometimes, these councilmen live up to every stereotype you know about old men. They keep complaining, disapprove of everything that isn't traditional, and if you just _mention_ that some old things _might_ require an update, they act as if you had suggested beheading someone."

"Sounds exhausting," Gladio replied. He could never do Ignis's job. With his short temper, he probably would have suggested beheading some of these council members already.  
"It's frustrating. I'm doing my best, but they still don't approve. I know that they only decline out of spite, but sometimes it feels like I'm just not good enough."

"Hey now," he said softly, squeezing Ignis's shoulders just a bit firmer. "It's not _your_ fault they are idiots. They are probably just jealous of all your innovative ideas."

"Noct said the same thing," Ignis whispered, leaning back into Gladio's touch. "But since he finished school and attends more meetings, they have started to put him through the mill as well. As the future king, he has to learn to stand his ground against them. But as an advisor, it is my job to support him. Whenever they decline his proposals that he had worked out together with me, I feel ashamed. It's like I've neglected my duty and let my prince down."

"Iggy." With a sigh, Gladio put his arms around Ignis, hugging him from behind. Resting his chin on Ignis's shoulder, he took in the lovely scent of his perfume. At first, the advisor stiffened, but then he leaned back into the touch. "Noct would never blame you for that. No one with enough common sense would."  
"I know," Ignis replied, putting his hand on Gladio's underarm. 

"Isn't there any way to trick them? I'm pretty sure you are clever enough to use some of their beloved traditions against them."  
"Certainly. I have more than enough plans at hand," the advisor admitted to Gladio's surprise.  
"What's holding you back?" Gladio asked, reluctantly breaking the hug to continue his massage.  
"I'm not sure if it's appropriate."  
"Iggy, please. It's politics. Everyone plays dirty."

A sigh left the advisor. "You are right. But part of me still hopes that it won't be necessary to resort to such means."  
"It's not like you are doing it to harm anyone. You're just trying to get your point across and support our prince."  
"From my point of view, yes. But maybe the others are convinced their traditions are the only right thing."  
"Or they realize your potential and are too proud to admit it. This is why they do everything to keep you down. And-" Gladio stopped his words along with the movements of his hands.

"And?" Ignis prompted.  
"I don't mean this in an offensive way, but they _know_ you stick to rules and decorum. They know that if one of them says no, you bite down every retort and accept their answer. You don't talk back or start discussions over something that has been decided."  
"I'm not forceful enough."  
"Although I'm pretty sure you could be."  
"Certainly. I just don't know if I'm allowed to."  
"Are you accountable to anyone but Noct during these council meetings?"  
"If king Regis isn't there as well, no."  
"See? Talk it through with Noct. I'm pretty sure he wants you to kick their asses."  
Ignis snorted.  
"Metaphorically speaking," Gladio hastily added.  
"I would like to kick their asses _unmetaphorically_ as well."

A playful gasp left Gladio's mouth. "You said _asses_. You've been spending too much time in the Amicitia house. You are starting to pick up our strong language."

They both laughed.  
"Maybe I'll follow your advice and talk to Noct soon. Right now, he has enough to worry about."  
"I think that would help to resolve at least one of his worries."  
"If you put it like that," Ignis replied, pondering. "You are right."  
"What else is princess worrying about?"

"He is," Ignis broke off, and Gladio felt his body stiffen, "trying to figure out some feelings. It is complicated."   
"Feelings that involve a certain blond best friend of his?"  
"That's part of it, but not everything. My apologies, but I have promised to keep it secret."  
"You two share a lot of secrets," Gladio said in realization.

Ignis sighed. "I have advised him to talk to you about this one. But he is always scared and hesitant when feelings are involved."  
"You two are similar in this regard."  
"My apologies." Ignis sounded so small.  
"Sorry, it's okay. No offense."  
"I'm trying to be a good example for him, but I'm failing miserably. Especially this week."

This week.  
Was that about Tuesday night? Because that had been one failure indeed. Gladio shook his head. He had to stop thinking about that. It had been one mishap. It could happen to everyone. No one was perfect, not even the royal advisor Ignis Scientia. Especially not when it came to interpersonal relationships. 

"Sometimes, you just have to be courageous," Gladio mumbled.  
"That's easy for you to say," Ignis's voice was nothing but a whisper.  
"Hey, not everything is easy for me either."  
"Still."  
"You just have to loosen up a bit. Your whole back is stiff from playing the perfect, upright, untouchable advisor all the time." 

While he talked, Gladio let his hands travel from Ignis's shoulders down his back. The other flinched in surprise, tensing up even more. When his hands traveled back up, there was another flinch. Again, just as he had brushed his waist. If his assumption was right, this could be fun.

"Are you _ticklish_ , Iggy?"  
The sharp intake of breath was all the answer he needed. With a teasing grin, Gladio let his hands travel back to Ignis's waist.  
"Gladiolus!" The reprimand only encouraged him further.

It wasn't easy to tickle anyone through two layers of clothes, but Gladio didn't let that stop him. With just the right amount of pressure, he let his fingers tap and squeeze Ignis's waist.

A high-pitched yelp left the other man as he leaned forward to get away from the touch, but Gladio tightened his grip, causing the other to scream again. 

" _Gladiolus!_ " Ignis turned around his head to glare at him. "If you do that again-"  
His teasing grin widened as he moved his fingers again before the other even had finished his sentence. Ignis yelped once more before waves of laughter tumbled from his lips as Gladio relentlessly tickled him. 

In a desperate try, Ignis reached for Gladio's waist as well. For a moment, Gladio stopped his assault only to grin at the other. "Sorry. _I'm_ not ticklish there."  
"Gladiolus, you- _ah!_ "   
Laughing, he tickled Ignis again. 

It was an uneven battle as he turned Ignis into a laughing mess while the advisor hopelessly grabbed different parts of Gladio's upper body in an unsuccessful attempt to pay him back. 

Infected by the giggles and shrieks that tumbled from the advisor's lips, Gladio had started to laugh as well while they wrestled on the bed for the upper hand in their little tickle fight. This back and forth continued for a while. Even _Gladio's_ cheeks were hurting from all the grinning and laughing.

Suddenly, a loud _moan_ came up between all the giggles.

Ignis slapped his hands against his mouth, cheeks turning red. They both stopped moving, and Gladio only now realized their current position. Ignis was lying on his bed, hair a bit messy, shirt and vest dragged loose from his trousers, showing the pale skin of his stomach. His breathing was a bit ragged.

Gladio was sitting on Ignis's thighs, hands still on the slender, ticklish waist. He looked down on Ignis's flustered state and remembered that porn magazine he had bought on Monday, along with the moan that had just slipped from these sinfully beautiful thin lips.

Maybe he had gone a bit too far.

"Shit," he mumbled. Reluctantly he got up, sitting further back on the bed. "Sorry if that was too much."

Ignis sat up, pulling his legs up to hug them against his chest like Prompto often did. He rested his forehead against his knees.   
"That was exhausting," the advisor eventually mumbled.

Gladio couldn't hold back a laugh. "It was just a small tickle fight."  
"If that was the _small_ version, I'm afraid of the other," Ignis retorted, but there was a smile on his lips as he looked up. "I'm thirsty."

Reaching for the water bottle he had put down on the right nightstand, Gladio handed it to the other. "Here."  
"Thank you," Ignis replied before he took a few sips. Gladio gulped as he watched Ignis's thin lips closing around the neck of the bottle, his adam's apple bobbing as he drank.

Averting his gaze from the sexy display, he cleared his throat and got up from the bed. 

"Have you read the book _Spectandus_?" he asked as he took the plate of cookies from his desk, placing it on the bed instead.  
"Written by Obscurus? Yes," Ignis confirmed as he closed the water bottle again.  
"There's a movie version of it now, but I haven't watched it yet," Gladio explained, holding up his laptop, an unspoken question on his face.  
"We can watch it if you like. But let me warn you: I'm a harsh critic when it comes to movies based on books," Ignis said with a smirk on his face as if he had just accepted a challenge.  
"I would be disappointed if it were any different," Gladio replied with a smirk on his own.

They both leaned against the headboard as they got comfortable on his bed again. The laptop and the plate of cookies were standing between them. As his stomach rumbled after Gladio ate the first cookie, he realized that he didn't even have breakfast today. It wasn't healthy, but the sweets would have to suffice until dinner was ready.

The movie was surprisingly well done.

Since there wasn't enough time, they had to skip a few scenes from the book, but all the important ones had made it to the movie. The music was beautiful, and the actors did justice to the characters.

While Gladio and Ignis kept talking about little details they noticed and missing scenes from the book, their hands had found each other. 

Feeling Ignis's warmth, his thumb rubbing against soft skin, Gladio almost had trouble holding back his tears as the movie reached its romantic climax where the main characters confessed their feelings for each other. His heart was beating faster, and he didn't remember the last time he had felt so happy.

A happy sigh left him once the final credits had rolled. "I love that endless trust between these two. How is it possible that they never doubted each other?"

"Because communication is key," Ignis replied, but it sounded oddly analytical with the lack of any emotion. "They never left anything unspoken, so there was no room for misunderstandings."

"Iggy?"  
Clicking his tongue, Ignis averted his gaze and let go of Gladio's hand.  
"Something wrong?" Gladio asked, a heavy feeling making his stomach drop as he put the laptop and the empty cookie plate on his nightstand. Where was this weird mood suddenly coming from?  
"I-" the other wanted to say something but only sighed. 

Patiently, even though he felt anxiety rising up in him, Gladio watched Ignis, awaiting an explanation for whatever this was. He turned to sit cross-legged, the sideboard to his left, his eyes never leaving Ignis's profile. 

"I never apologized for Tuesday evening," Ignis eventually mumbled. Gladio didn't know if it made him feel better or worse now that he knew the reason for this suddenly gloomy atmosphere.

"I," Gladio cleared his throat, "I never really understood what happened."

"I _panicked_ ," Ignis said, voice assertive. "I completely and utterly panicked, stopping all rational actions."  
"For the rest of the night and the next day as well?" Gladio knew he was rubbing salt into the wound, but he was hurt as well, and he needed to understand the reasons for Ignis's behavior.

"Unfortunately," was the whispered reply he got.  
"Why?" Gladio inquired, and the sigh that left the other sounded pained and annoyed. Ignis took off his glasses to pinch the bridge of his nose.

When he didn't get an answer, Gladio spoke up again. "You know, it would have hurt as well, but I would have accepted it if you had just _told_ me that you didn't want to have phone sex. But the way you just rejected and ignored me for hours, days almost, that just-" he ruffled his own hair in frustration "-that freaking hurt."

"My apologies," Ignis whispered sincerely.  
"I don't need an apology. I just want to _understand_ how it came to this."

Taking a deep breath, Ignis leaned up and turned around to sit cross-legged as well, facing Gladio. His gaze, however, was cast down on his own hands, resting in his lap.

"At first, I just panicked. I had never done any research on phone sex. I knew that with this lack of experience, I could only mess it up. It was a crucial moment since you were right in the middle of-" Ignis made vague gestures with his hands.

"I was masturbating, yes," Gladio added, not in the mood to beat around the bush.

"Right," Ignis cleared his throat, still avoiding Gladio's eyes. "I just didn't dare to risk messing this up for you with my inexperience. I had been wondering if I should call to tell you that, but that wouldn't have been a _stimulating_ call either. I thought about texting you instead, but I couldn't bring myself to do that either. I just didn't want to disappoint you."

With a deep breath, Ignis finally looked up to meet his eyes.   
"Yet after some time, I realized that due to my indecisiveness I had already let you down. And then I turned into a coward once more, afraid to face the consequences. I thought that bringing it up would only hurt you, again, while it confirmed my inability about _everything_. I know nothing about phone sex, I couldn't be any help in satisfying you, I-"

Ignis closed his eyes and shook his head. "I was afraid that this was only the beginning. Our levels of experience are so different, and I'm always scared that you'll grow bored of me before we even started anything."

It hurt him to hear how much Ignis was beating himself up over this. There was so much self-doubt and anxiety that Gladio just wanted to hug the other man and tell him that everything would work out somehow. But he knew how difficult it was for Ignis to admit all this, so he wouldn't interrupt him. 

"I was getting lost in dark thoughts until Noct forced me to talk about it. I didn't go into detail, but the moment he told me that every minute I ignored you would only make matters worse, I panicked again. I've been beating myself up over this all week. I'm angry for letting the situation escalate so far. When you mentioned yesterday that you hadn't even _come_ on Tuesday, my bad conscience was eating me up again - all night long."

"So I'm the reason you couldn't sleep," he spoke out in realization.

"No, Gladiolus. It's not you. This one was on me. My apologies."

A deep sigh left Gladio's lips.   
"Iggy, listen." He took Ignis's shaking hands, holding them with his own. "I won't say that all that hadn't thrown me off the track this week."  
"Sorry," the other whispered painfully, averting his gaze.  
"Look at me, Iggy," Gladio asked, and Ignis eventually complied. There were so much pain and anxiety in his green eyes.

"It isn't always easy between two humans, no matter what kind of relationship they share. But as you've said in the beginning: communication is the key. Just tell me immediately next time, okay?"

"I will." Ignis nodded.   
They smiled at each other, and Gladio let go of Ignis's hands again.  
"Although," the other suddenly added, "I'll do my best to be prepared in advance for everything from now on."

"Prepared?" Gladio forced a little laugh from his lips. "Iggy, our text messages threw you right into this situation. How should you have been prepared for that?"

"I should have expected this topic to come up at some point and should have researched phone sex in advance."

" _Research_ phone sex?"  
"Well, it's not like I haven't researched similar topics for my fanfictions."  
"I always thought they were based on your experiences and fantasies," Gladio said, although, at the next moment, he remembered how Nyx called out that Ignis's last story had shown many signs of inexperience.

"The second part is true," Ignis admitted, and before Gladio could react, he already added, "I've got a question."   
"Yeah?"  
"Yesterday, when you mentioned your first shared night with Nyx-" Ignis took a deep breath. "If I had voted for details, would you have shared them?" 

Gladio's eyes opened in surprise. He hadn't expected that shift in their subject of conversation. "Of course."  
"Will you still do if I change my vote now?"   
"Sure," Gladio blinked in confusion. "But why the sudden change of mind?"  
"I had only voted against it because of Noct."  
"Huh?"  
"My apologies, I can't go into detail. Noct trusts me to keep his secrets." Ignis bit his lip.  
"Ah, of course, I understand. I'm just wondering," Gladio mumbled as he grabbed his chin in thought. Noctis usually didn't play a decisive role in Gladio's conversations with Prompto, but yesterday the prince had more actively participated than ever before. However, Gladio did remember the silent exchange between these two before Ignis cast his vote.

"Alright," Gladio turned around to lean his back against the headboard of the bed. He crossed his hands behind his head as he looked up at the ceiling, remembering that special night of his eighteenth birthday.

"It was far from perfect, but Nyx was so patient and charming that I don't regret anything." There was a smile on his face at the fond memory. "The thing is, I had been anticipating that moment for _months_. I wanted to have a cock in my ass, but Nyx had been adamant about waiting until I was of legal age. So the moment the clock stroke midnight, I was in his lap, kissing him, already rock hard."

Ignis took in a sharp breath, and Gladio wondered if the other was picturing the scene in his mind.

"I had been so riled up that as soon as he got his first finger in me, pressing against my prostate, I already came."

"Seriously?" Ignis blinked at him in surprise.   
"Yeah," Gladio smiled at him. "I was ashamed about it at that time, but, looking back, it had to be expected after building up all that anticipation before."  
"What happened next?"  
"After I had almost died from embarrassment and apologized more often than necessary, we tried again. However, I focused so much on not messing this up again that I got too nervous and too tense. Way too tense for Nyx to finger me."

"Oh. I haven't expected that," Ignis admitted.

"I hadn't either, but I think Nyx did. Anyway, since he didn't want to hurt me, he called that idea off for the night and told me to take him instead. At first, I was disappointed, but as he talked me through fingering him open, my dick decided that this was going to be good as well."

A snort left the advisor. 

"So, yeah. I fucked Nyx, and it felt amazing. I had been with women before, but I had never tried anal sex. It just felt different. More intense somehow. I didn't last long, though," a silent chuckle left Gladio's lips. 

"Knowing Nyx, he probably didn't mind," Ignis said softly.

"He didn't mind at all. We gave him a handjob together, cleaned up, and went to sleep."

"So you didn't bottom for him?" Ignis asked in surprise.  
"I'm not done yet," Gladio replied with a grin.  
"Oh."  
"The next morning, we tried again. Nyx managed to prepare me without making me come. Since I was so eager to finally get what I had wanted for so long, I pushed him back on the mattress to ride him."

Taking in another sharp breath, Ignis bit his lip.

"Can you imagine how that went?" Gladio asked as he turned sidewards to sit cross-legged again, facing Ignis.

"Marvelous?" Ignis asked, and Gladio snorted.  
"It was a mess."  
The surprised look on Ignis's face was priceless. "Why?"   
"I had been too eager again. While riding Nyx, I lifted my hips too far, and he slipped out. More than once. So often, we both felt frustrated, actually."

Ignis chuckled. "Pardon me."  
"No, no, it's okay. It _is_ laughable. In fact, we reached a point where we both started to laugh about it as well."  
"And then?"  
"Then, I finally swallowed down my pride and asked him to take over control. Next thing, I knew, he was fucking me into the mattress, and that was -how had you called it?- _marvelous_."

"I can imagine," Ignis whispered, his voice hoarse. "Did you prefer getting taken by him to taking him?"  
"I enjoyed both."  
"And-" Ignis nervously chewed on his lips, averting his gaze "-in general?"  
"Hm," Gladio crossed his arms in thought. "Even though I had many one-night stands, I didn't often bottom for anyone. I only do that with people I know I can trust. So I'm more used to taking others. But I enjoy both ways, really." 

"What would you prefer in a relationship?" The question had been nothing more than a whisper, but Gladio had heard it and took in a sharp breath. He liked where this conversation was going.

"Since I like both, it would be perfect to have a partner who enjoyed both as well and was open to changing roles from time to time. How often we switch can be talked about. If they don't like to switch, I could live without getting taken if I were allowed to keep my toy collection," he snorted at the thought. "But I don't think I would be satisfied with only receiving."

"I hadn't expected such a detailed answer," Ignis mumbled against the hand he held in front of his face as he unsuccessfully tried to hide the blush on his face.

"I like to talk about this stuff," Gladio replied with a shrug.  
"Never would have guessed," Ignis playfully retorted.

With a laugh, Gladio leaned forward. Elbows on his crossed legs, he rested his chin on his hands. "Now I'm curious about your preferences."

"I-"  
"Yeah?" Gladio's smirk widened while Ignis's eyes nervously darted around the room.  
"I rarely masturbate without toys or fingers in me, so I'd prefer to bottom. But I would be interested in switching from time to time."

" _Astrals!_ " Gladio exclaimed as he buried his face in his hands at this unexpected confession.  
"W-what?" Ignis stuttered, his cheeks turning red.  
"Sorry," he mumbled, trying to hide his flushed cheeks behind his large hand just like Ignis had done before. "I just had to _imagine_ that."  
" _What_?" Ignis screeched, almost panicked. " _Don't_ imagine that!" He pulled up his legs and grabbed Gladio's blanket. Pulling it up to the tip of his nose, he tried to hide behind it. "Forget I've said anything! I take it back!"

"You can never take that back," Gladio chuckled. "The image is in my mind now. _Forever_ ," he teasingly added once he had regained his composure.  
" _Gods, no!_ " Hastily, Ignis pulled the blanket up further and over his head, so far that his feet were uncovered again. He was curling his toes.

Gladio's cheeks hurt from smiling too much at the cute display in front of him. Who would have guessed that Ignis even managed to outmatch Prompto's cute embarrassed reactions? 

It awoke Gladio's playful nature. 

Slowly he leaned towards the blanket-covered pile on his bed, his fingers slipping beneath the bottom of Ignis's feet. "Are you ticklish here as well?"

The immediate answer came in the form of a yelp as the advisor pulled back his feet, kneeling on the bed instead.   
"Don't tease me!" he exclaimed as he pulled the blanket from his head. His hair was ruffled, his face redder than before. Gladio felt his heart melting at the cute display in front of him as Ignis still hugged the blanket to his chest.

"Last week, at the bar, you admitted that you enjoy getting teased," Gladio taunted playfully.  
"In the right way by the right person," Ignis reminded him, his voice still shaky.

"Judging by your reaction, I'm doing it exactly the right way."   
That sentence caused Ignis to take in a sharp breath as his cheeks somehow turned even redder.  
"Or do you want to say that I'm not the right person?" In playful shock, Gladio gasped, putting a hand against his chest.

"The timing is important as well," Ignis mumbled eventually, avoiding the question as he averted his gaze. But that just told Gladio that he _was_ the right person.

"Alright," he sighed as he feared Ignis would overheat from embarrassment soon. "I'll behave now."  
One look at Ignis told him that the other didn't believe him.

Picking up the water bottle from the nightstand, Gladio took a sip.

"Drink something before you faint on me," he instructed as he held out the bottle.  
"Stop overestimating your charm," Ignis mumbled but accepted nonetheless, taking some sips of water.

"Calmed down?" Gladio asked as he accepted the bottle back again.  
"Yeah," Ignis nodded slowly.  
"Perfect. Wanna tell me about _your_ first time now?"  
"What?" The other flinched in surprise.  
"I'm curious, sorry. And since I've told you everything yesterday, and just now, it would be only fair." Gladio did his best to mimic the pleading eyes his sister always made.

"Alright," Ignis eventually gave in with a sigh. "But it's nothing like the sweet love story you're probably expecting."  
"Hey, I don't judge," he said in what he hoped to be a reassuring way.

Taking a deep breath, Ignis started his narration. "It happened two years ago. I was already eighteen at the time."

Gladio had to hold back a snort. Of course, Ignis had waited until he was of legal age.

"One day, when I had decided to exercise after a long day of work, I went to one of the training halls of the Citadel. Usually, they are unoccupied at such a late hour, but that day, Crowe was still there."

"Wait, _Crowe_?" Gladio furrowed his brow.  
"Yes?"  
"This isn't going where I think this is going, is it?"  
"Should I stop?"  
"No!"

Treading warily, Ignis continued.   
"I can't exactly tell you what had overcome me, but somehow I couldn't take my eyes off her as she trained in a rather _tight_ outfit." 

"Let me guess: she noticed," he grinned knowingly.

"Indeed," Ignis nodded. "Without mincing matters, she asked if I wanted to touch or if staring was enough."

Gladio burst out laughing. "Typical Crowe!"

"I apologized and honestly told her that I wasn't sure if I was interested. Next, she asked, _'in me or at all?'_ "

"Now _I'm_ curious about your answer," Gladio interjected.

"Back then, I was still trying to convince myself I wasn't gay. Noct was the only person I had ever told about that, yet when Crowe looked at me like that, I honestly replied, ' _In women.'" Ignis took a deep breath. "_ She smirked, saying that there was only one way to find out, and no one had to know."

Gladio's eyes widened in surprise. So this really had been happening then? Ignis and Crowe? Well, at least that explained how they knew each other.

"Before I knew what was happening, I was in her flat, in her bed," Ignis averted his gaze, looking pained. "I'm not really proud of how fast we ended up there."

"I have to admit that I didn't expect it from you, but I understand," Gladio exhaled loudly. "It used to happen to me all the time."

"Casanova," Ignis mumbled, but there was the hint of a playful smirk on his lips.  
"I'm just irresistible," Gladio answered with a wink. "So, how went your night with the sexy lady?"

"It was beyond awkward," Ignis admitted, biting down on his bottom lip. Patiently, Gladio waited for further explanations. It wasn't his intention to force the other to talk about it if he really didn't feel up to it, but he was curious. So he just kept staring at him with an open but expecting gaze. 

Pulling more of the blanket into his lap, Ignis's hands fumbled with the soft fabric as he continued his story. "We kissed for a while. At first, it had felt nice. But soon, the thoughts in my brain had gotten louder, asking me what I was even doing there. Yet, I was too curious to call it off. Since my urge to touch her was low, I let her take the lead. Once she went down on me, I was finally starting to enjoy this a bit more."

"She gave you a blowjob?" Gladio asked to make sure he had understood that right.  
"Yes."  
"Hm," Gladio hummed, remembering the times he had shared a night with Crowe. "She's good at that."  
A blush found its way to Ignis's cheeks, his eyes widening. "She and you-"  
"Oh, well, yeah. We've shared a few nights. Sorry, I thought you knew." Gladio scratched the back of his neck.  
"I've suspected as much," Ignis replied without judgment.

A bit impatiently, Gladio steered back to the topic at hand. "Did Crowe make you come with that blowjob?"  
"Oh, no. She only got me ready for," Ignis hesitated, searching for the right words, "the main event."

A chuckle tumbled from Gladio's lips. "The main event is the _best_ part." His smile dropped as he noticed the dark gaze on Ignis's face. The other kept looking down, his hands fumbling with the bedding. "It wasn't the best part?" He asked carefully.

"I," Ignis sighed, needing a moment to force out the words with barely a whisper. "I didn't even dare to try."  
"Huh?"  
"When she took off her panties, and I looked at her-" he paused again. Eventually, his eyes landed on Gladio, his gaze and voice desperate. "I just couldn't. I had no desire at all to touch that part of her in any way. It didn't feel right. My mind was reeling. I suddenly remembered articles about asexuality I had read before. I was starting to feel sick, and I-"

Ignis broke off his narration. Taking off his glasses, he pressed a hand against his eyes.   
Unsure if he should reach out to him, Gladio decided against it. Giving him space would probably be better right now.  
"She noticed," Ignis whispered, and Gladio felt a sigh leaving his own lips.  
"That's good," he said because going through with that would probably have caused even more harm. "So, you stopped there?"  
"For a moment," Ignis confirmed, putting his glasses back on. Gladio was all ears when he noticed that the story wasn't over yet. "Next, she took out a strap-on and asked how I felt about getting taken by her."

"No way," Gladio said on reflex because he couldn't imagine anything but pure vanilla sex for Ignis's first time. But then again, last Friday at the bar when they had played _'never have I ever'_ , and strap-ons had come up, Ignis _had_ taken a drink.

"My brain was overheating at the mere thought, and I couldn't hide my arousal. Hence, I accepted the offer," Ignis admitted, cheeks red. "It had felt so good, Gladiolus. _So good_."

" _Fuck_ , that's hot," Gladio mumbled as his brain provided him with enough fantasies of that scene. While he was a bit jealous, he still couldn't deny that he wished to have seen that, to have been there, to have been the one helping Ignis to find his preferences in bed.

That night must have been defining for him. "I guess you never hooked up with a woman again after that night?"  
Ignis shook his head. "Never."

"So," Gladio smirked, curiosity untamed. "How was your first time with a man?"

With his right hand, Ignis grabbed his left elbow, his shoulders slumped down. Biting his bottom lip, he softly shook his head, a blush on his cheeks.  
" _Oh_ ," Gladio replied in understanding until he realized that he couldn't be sure what that gesture meant. "Wait, it didn't go well, _or_ you never even-"  
" _Never_ ," Ignis whispered, biting down on his lip.  
"Oh," Gladio repeated. Ignis had never been with another man.  
"I'm sorry for my lack of experience," the other added quietly.

"No, no, that's alright. I'm just surprised. All these fanfictions you've written-"  
"-are just based on fantasies and research," Ignis confessed bitterly.  
"Hey, that's okay," Gladio tried to reassure him, but the other only bit down on his bottom lip again, averting his gaze.

"You're always chewing on your bottom lip when you're uncomfortable or nervous." It was a realization Gladio had made long ago but had yet to address.

"A bad habit, I can't get rid of." The reply was nothing more than a whisper, but Ignis took his teeth back, merely pressing his lips together to a line instead. 

These rosy, thin lips.

Before his brain had caught up with the action, Gladio had cupped Ignis's cheek, his thumb tracing his bottom lip. "Would be such a shame to hurt these beautiful lips," he whispered, afraid to break the moment.

Instead of a reply, he only got a sharp intake of breath from Ignis. His bottom lip quivered, but he didn't back away from the touch, his gaze darting back and forth between Gladio's eyes and his lips.

Gladio got lost in these beautiful green eyes. For once, they were full of emotion. So many emotions that he had trouble pinpointing them all, but one thing was clear: there was _desire_ , and it was strong enough to overshadow all insecurities.

Slowly, to avoid scaring him off, Gladio got closer. Feeling the hot skin of Ignis's cheek below his hand, Gladio let his thumb trace over these soft lips once more before his finger rested at the corner of the other's mouth. By now, he was close enough to feel Ignis's breath on his own skin. Closing his eyes, he left it to Ignis to cross the last millimeters that separated them.

Holding his breath, he anticipated the moment he had been waiting for so long.

When he felt soft lips touching his own, tears of joy prickled behind his eyes, his knees growing weak. 

Ignis's hand fell on Gladio's thigh. It was only resting there, but Gladio felt the heat radiating from it and running through his whole body. 

That familiar smell of citrus and flowers grazed his nose, and Gladio knew he could get addicted to it together with the soft feeling against his lips.

_"Fucking finally,"_ he whispered once they separated again. Ignis only breathed out a small laugh before he placed another quick peck on his lips. And then another. Gladio let him set the pace, happy to receive whatever Ignis was willing to give. 

He hummed in pleasure when their lips met once again. Honestly, he couldn't even remember the last time he had shared innocent kisses like these, not even using tongues. But at the same time, he couldn't remember when he had last felt so happy from getting kissed.

Their lips separated again, but Ignis rested his forehead against Gladio's. Breaths mingled while Gladio let his thumb brush over flushed cheeks.

"Gladiolus," Ignis whispered softly.  
"Yeah?"  
"May I ask you something? It's important."  
"Always," he whispered back, reassuringly.  
After taking a deep breath, Ignis spoke up again, "Why have you-"

There was a knock on the door. 

Ignis immediately jolted away, crawling backward on the bed until his back collided with the headboard.

"Young master Gladiolus? Dinner will be ready in five minutes," Jared announced through the closed door.  
" _Thanks_ ," Gladio forced out the word, although he was anything but grateful for that interruption - even though if it hadn't been on purpose.

Ignis had pulled the blanket with him, clutching the fabric between shaking hands. With his panicked expression, he looked like a scared animal.

"Sorry," Gladio mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck. "You wanted to ask something?"

"Forget about it." It was an immediate reply. "It wasn't important."  
There was a frown on Gladio's face. "But you've said-"  
"Is there a restroom I could use?"

Gladio looked at Ignis. Cheeks flushed, hair ruffled, shirt still askew from their little tickle fight earlier today.  
"Yeah. Yeah, sure," Gladio said, nodding several times. This was the right next course of action. He couldn't expect Ignis to have dinner with his family while he was in this state. He knew how much the other cared about appearances.

When Ignis didn't move but only stared at him expectantly, Gladio realized that he hadn't finished his answer. "Ah, end of the hall, the door right next to the stairs. I, um, I'll meet you downstairs."

"Thank you," Ignis replied and was out of his room faster than Gladio's jumbled thoughts could keep up with.

With a desperate chuckle, Gladio simply flopped down on his bed. As he buried his face in the sheets, Ignis's smell drifted towards his nose again, and he groaned in frustration. 

He had a distant feeling that he had missed out on something significant right now. After all, Ignis had called it important in the first place before he had gotten scared off again. What could it be? What did he want to ask him?

Another groan left his lips before he turned around to look at his ceiling. He needed to get his shit together for the rest of the evening. Even if he regretted the interruption, the night wasn't over yet. And, it had been going well so far.

The corner of his mouth twitched up as he remembered their sweet little kisses. Giggles tumbled from his lips as he rolled around in his bed, hugging his blanket. 

They had kissed! More than once!

Taking a deep breath, Gladio got up from his bed. Casually, he brushed his hair back with his hand to fix his appearance.

When Gladio arrived downstairs, everyone else had already gathered at the dining table. Jared just placed the last meal on the table while Clarus pulled back a chair for Ignis. While Ignis had fixed his attire, looking as prim and proper as always, Gladio realized that the other was still a bit out of it since he needed a moment to react and sit down.

"Red wine?" his father asked them, and Gladio immediately agreed, grateful as his glass got filled.   
"Thank you, but I came by car-" Ignis tried to decline, but Clarus interrupted him.  
"That's no problem. Jared can drive you home later."  
"Oh, I wouldn't want to impose-"  
"I have seen the magnificent dessert you've brought," Jared said, a hand humbly against his chest. "Let this old man at least offer you a ride home as thanks."  
"Well, I-" Ignis got interrupted by Clarus.  
"No need to be modest. You and Jared live in the same area anyway," Clarus explained, holding out the wine bottle, an unspoken question on his face.  
"Alright," Ignis gave in, if only because further rejection would be impolite. 

With a fond smile, his father filled the glass with red wine. Then he sat down at the end of the table, and Gladio took his place to his right side, next to Ignis. Iris sat on Clarus's left side, opposite of Gladio and next to Jared. 

When Clarus lifted his glass, ready to propose a toast, Gladio quickly kicked against his father's shin to stop him. As he was met by a dark glare, he almost regretted that ill-considered action. Out of the corner of his eye, however, he noticed how stiff and uncomfortable Ignis was. They had overrun him with the wine and with the offer to go out of their way to drive him home later.

His father seemed to get the hint and silently lifted his glass to his lips to take a sip. 

"Did your friends like the cookies?" Gladio asked his sister, trusting in her ability to lift the mood.

"They _loved_ them! They were so delicious!" Iris exclaimed happily, almost spilling the grape juice from her glass.

"I'm glad," Ignis replied with a smile, relaxing at least a little bit.

"Those are the _best_ cookies in the whole world." Emphasizing her statement, Iris formed a large circle with her tiny hands and arms.

"We could make them even better next time by adjusting the recipe," Ignis mumbled thoughtfully, his thoughts already thinking this through.

_Next time._  
Gladio's heart beat just a bit faster at this promise.

"Really?" His sister stared at their guest with huge eyes.

"We could use nuts instead. Or different types of chocolate to make Triple Chocolate Chip Cookies," Ignis suggested.

" _Triple_ chocolate!" In her excitement, Iris drummed her fingers on the table. It earned her a stern gaze from their father she didn't even notice.

Once she had calmed down, they all thanked Jared for cooking and finally started to eat. Gladio only now realized how hungry he was, eagerly bolting his meal. 

Clarus kicked him in the shin -clearly getting revenge for Gladio's kick earlier- as he mouthed the words, ' _Mind your manners,_ ' without sounds. Reluctantly, Gladio slowed down to savor the food instead.

"That tastes divine," Ignis said honestly after taking the first bite. "May I ask if it is one of your own recipes?"

"Oh, not at all," Jared replied politely. "It's the first recipe from Oric's Culinary Chronicle, called _Croaker in Brown Sauce_. Apparently, he made it with Gigantoad steak, but I chose beef steak instead."

"It goes well together with vegetables. Aegir root and mushrooms, if I'm correct?" Ignis asked as he took another bite to analyze the ingredients.

"Yes, most of all Funguar, but with a variety of other mushrooms," Jared confirmed with a nod. Gladio didn't know much about cooking, but he was happy these two had found a common topic to talk about. "Do you know what the sauce is made off?"

Taking up the challenge, Ignis took another bite of the meat together with the sauce. "Beef broth and red wine - probably the same as in our glasses right now."

"Well, yes. Even though lady Iris and I stuck to grape juice tonight."

For a moment, Gladio was afraid Ignis would feel bad for imposing on them again, but he was too absorbed in tasting the food.

"As herbs, you used parsley. And there are chopped onions as well, along with something sweet. _Hm._ " He frowned shortly, taking another bite.  
"Can you guess what it is?" Jared asked.  
"I'd say it's tomato. A Lucian one," Ignis concluded, and their butler clapped his hands together once.  
" _Magnificent!_ I've never witnessed someone guessing a whole recipe just by tasting a dish!"  
"Oh, that was probably just luck," Ignis said, a blush grazing his cheeks.

"Stop selling yourself short, Iggy," Gladio said with a fond smile. "You _are_ amazing."  
" _Oh._ " His compliment caused Ignis to blush even more as he was left speechless. 

"And these are potatoes!" Iris exclaimed as she held out her fork, the vegetable side dish pierced on it.   
"You _genius_ ," Gladio teased her. With a pout, she slipped down her chair, her hands grabbing the edge of the table, as she maneuvered under the table to kick Gladio against his shin.  
" _Ouch!_ " he yelled as she hit the same spot as his dad had before.

" _Iris, Gladiolus,_ " their father hissed. "We have a guest. Behave yourselves!"  
"Why _me_?" Gladio exclaimed while his sister came back up her chair with a pout.  
"Because you are old enough, so act your age!" Iris said before she stuck out her tongue.   
"Don't think you can get away with everything just because you're a cute little brat!"

Their father kicked against their chairs, with a gaze stern enough to shut both of them up at once.   
Putting on a smile, he addressed Ignis. "Let me apologize for these wayward children."

To Gladio's surprise, Ignis chuckled. "It's quite alright. Although I am not used to a lively family dinner, I cannot say that I dislike it."

"You don't have dinner with your family?" Iris asked, too young to read the mood or realize that she had probably just metaphorically stepped on a landmine.

"Well," Ignis's gaze was downcast for a moment, "my uncle took me in after my parents died when I was still a young child. Thanks to my job with the Crown, I managed to move out when I was fourteen, and we didn't really stay in contact after that. But even before, we merely lived in the same space." After taking a sip of his wine, he continued. "His majesty, although he seldom had any time to spare, was more of a father to me. But of course, I don't dine with him."

"So you always eat _alone_?" Iris looked close to tears. She always had been a family person.

"Ah, no," Ignis declined at once. "Some days, I stay at Noct's apartment to eat. Although I don't want to impose on him every day."  
" _Fucking hell,_ Iggy," Gladio exclaimed, earning himself another kick from his father for the curse. He didn't care about that, though. "You are _not_ imposing on Noct. He'd never think like that!"

"Of course, you are right," Ignis backpedaled, "I didn't mean to imply that his highness-"  
"How about another glass of wine?" Clarus asked to defuse the situation, already getting up to refill their glasses.  
"Thank you," Ignis said as he took a sip from his drink.

"Say, Ignis," his father said as he sat back down on his chair. "Has anyone ever told you how Gladiolus-"  
"Dad, _no_ ," Gladio interrupted him at once.  
"I just wanted-"  
"No embarrassing childhood stories." He glared at his dad.  
"It's not embarrassing. You were _adorable_ ," Clarus replied, and Gladio grimaced to hear such a word out of his father's mouth.  
"Nothing about me was adorable. And my answer stays the same."

Clarus sighed. "Do you see what I have to put up with every day, Ignis? My own son forbids me to speak."  
When Ignis chuckled loudly, Gladio noticed that the other's wine glass was already half-empty again.   
"He certainly knows how to stand his ground," Ignis stated. "It proves that he was raised to make decisions independently. Surely he must have had a steadfast role model." 

"What a charming reply," Clarus said with a smile before his stern gaze fell on his son. "Why can't you smooth-talk like that?"

"Cause he's only good at _sucking_ and _fucking_!" Iris innocently exclaimed the new words she had picked up today.   
While everyone looked shocked, Clarus chuckled. "He always had an oral fixation. Even as a kid, he-"  
" _Dad, no!_ " Gladio yelled, and everyone burst out laughing. Iris was laughing the loudest even though she had the least idea of what was going on.

After everyone had calmed down again, Clarus asked Ignis, "So, is his sister right about his sucking and fucking skills?" 

Gladio choked on his wine, coughing as his cheeks grew red.  
"How should I, I mean, I couldn't possibly-" It was a rarity for Ignis to tumble over his own tongue like that, cheeks as red and hot as Gladio felt.

"Could you stop embarrassing me for like five seconds, Dad?!"  
"Oh, come on, Gladiolus. We are all old enough for a little joke like that."  
"Iris is _eight_ ," Gladio reminded his father about her presence.  
"Too young to catch the suggestive nuance of our conversation."  
"I know that two people are fucking when they like each other," Iris suddenly said with a pout, explaining what she had learned. "A man uses his penis-"  
" _Iris!_ " Gladiolus and Clarus yelled at once, making her flinch and shut up at once.

What followed was a heated yet playful discussion between the three Amicitias about who was the most embarrassing and who had to _shut the fuck up_ now.

"Please don't be concerned," Jared said towards Ignis. "They are always like that."  
"I see," he replied, looking perplexed. 

Gladio was glad that after a while, things quieted down again. They finished dinner with actually decent conversations. Everyone praised Ignis's Kupoberry Cheesecake, and Jared tried to guess the recipe - not as perfect as Ignis had done before.

Since Iris was close to falling asleep while she chewed on her last bites of cakes, Gladio eventually picked her up. Of course, she was throwing a tantrum, insisting not to be tired. However, once they had reached her bedroom upstairs, his sister had already fallen asleep in his arms. She looked like a little angle as Gladio put her into bed, placing a quick kiss on her forehead.

Once he came back down, Clarus and Ignis had moved to sit on the couch, another glass of wine in hand and something that looked suspiciously like a photo album.

"Please tell me those aren't childhood photos," he exhaled, although he already knew the answer.

"You were so _adorable_ as a child," Ignis mentioned as he fondly turned the page of the album.   
"Yeah?" With a smile, Gladio sat down next to Ignis. He was close enough for their thighs to touch, his left arm on the backrest. He rested his chin on Ignis's right shoulder to peer at the photo album as well.  
"So _he_ is allowed to call you adorable?" his father couldn't hold back to mention his observation.  
Gladio only grumbled, taking the wine glass from Ignis's hand to take a sip. Ignis's hand came down to rest on his thigh.

Gladio felt warm and comfortable. And that had nothing to do with the alcohol he had consumed tonight. When he heard Ignis's delightful chuckle, he didn't even mind these embarrassing childhood photos anymore. If they made Ignis happy, everything was fine.

Once they had finished the album, Ignis pulled his hand back to his own lap. "Well, it has gotten late."  
"You could stay the night," Clarus suggested sincerely.  
"Oh, no," Ignis immediately declined, polite as usual. "I wouldn't want to impose on you even more."  
"You are always welcome in this house, Ignis. Please don't ever think otherwise."  
"I-" Ignis smiled. "Thank you, Clarus."

Clarus smiled as well, knowing that it took a lot for Ignis to drop the formalities and call him by name.

Nonetheless, Ignis got up from the couch. Reluctantly, Gladio got up as well, placing the empty wine glass on the couch table.  
"It has been a pleasant evening. Thank you again for allowing me to stay for dinner," Ignis said gratefully.  
"As I've said, you're _always_ welcome to join us again," Clarus replied with a nod. "And thank you again for the dessert. Good night."  
"Good night," Ignis replied with a small bow. 

Jared walked up to them. "If you would be so kind as to hand me your car keys? I will get the car ready to drive you home."  
"Thank you, Jared. And sorry for the inconvenience."  
"I assure you, it is not. I'm living close to your area and had come by train today. In fact, driving you home is convenient for me as well," Jared humbly replied as he accepted the keys and went outside next.

Gladio would bet that these two could go hours humbly talking and bowing to each other. 

They went to the front door, and Ignis put on his shoes. Once the other had stepped outside, Gladio leaned against the door frame just as he had this morning. Although he was properly dressed this time. The cool air of the night grazed his hot cheeks.

"Thank you for the lovely day," Ignis said, leaning forward as he slowly closed his eyes.

Too surprised by the moment, Gladio realized too late that Ignis awaited a kiss and was frozen in place. With a somewhat sad smile, Ignis immediately leaned back again. "Good night," he wished and was already walking towards Jared and the car. 

"Good night," Gladio whispered too late and closed the door only to smash his forehead against it a few times. He should have moved in to meet his lips, he should have moved in, he should have-

"How the hell did you manage to fuck up the perfect opportunity to kiss him right now?" his father asked with a sigh.  
" _I don't know!_ It just came out of nowhere."  
"You're beyond help, son," Clarus shook his head in disbelief. "Man up and make a move the next time you're alone with him."

As if Gladio didn't dream about doing just that since forever.

Before any misunderstanding could come up, he took out his phone to text Ignis.

Gladio:  
_Sorry! I've just been too surprised!_

Ignis:  
_It's alright, don't worry._

With a relieved sigh, he wished his father a good night and walked up the stairs. He had no idea if Nyx had already come back from his mission or if he was already asleep, but he texted him anyway.

Gladio:  
_HE WANTED TO KISS ME GOODBYE, BUT I JUST STARED AT HIM LIKE AN IDIOT._

Nyx:  
_You're beyond help, eagle boy._

Gladio:  
_Please don't say the same stuff as my dad._

Nyx:  
_Can't blame_ us _when_ you _fuck up._

Gladio:  
_But we kissed earlier!!_

Nyx:  
_I just wanted to sleep, but now I want details._

Gladio:  
_Tomorrow. I've gotta rub one off now, or I'll explode._

Nyx:  
_Have fun, eagle boy_ ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Gladio didn't beat about the bush once he got to his room. He locked the door, took down his pants, and threw himself into the bed. The sheets still smelled like Ignis, and that fact alone turned him on more than enough. Remembering all the little moments they had shared today, Gladio had no trouble to come. 

It was almost over _too fast_ for his liking, but he had been pent-up this week.

On Sunday morning, although it was almost noon as he woke up, Gladio immediately called Nyx.   
"We kissed," he sighed happily as soon as his best friend picked up the call.  
A snort was the first answer he got. "I'm glad you have good news for once."  
"I do because we kissed," he repeated, turning around in bed with a chuckle.  
"Four times."  
"Yes, four kisses," Gladio sighed as he closed his eyes, remembering the feeling of each and every one. Suddenly, he opened his eyes again. "Wait, how do you know that?"

"Pretty boy told me," Nyx hummed teasingly.  
"What? When?"  
"I called him earlier. Since we couldn't meet for magic training on Friday, I was afraid he might have missed talking to the great Nyx Ulric."  
"That's so you," Gladio snorted.  
"He also told me that you opened the door in your underwear." He didn't need to see his best friend to know there was a shit-eating grin on his face.  
"Promise me to never mention that to _anyone_."  
"Only if I get all the details about yesterday," Nyx negotiated. "And don't even try to leave something out. Pretty boy has told me a bit. I can compare your versions of the story."  
"Alright," Gladio gave in with a sigh.

He told Nyx about the beautiful moments they shared, along with all the little mishaps and the embarrassing conversations with his family.

The glaive had his fun listening to the full story, adding a few of his typical comments here and there.

Afterwards, Nyx told him that Libertus had spent the whole mission sighing like a love-sick fool because he had also shared the first kiss with this girl they had seen last week and missed her too much now.

Gladio could empathize with this feeling. He was already missing Ignis again. And while he was happy about everything that had gone well, he couldn't shake the feeling that he had missed out on the best part when Jared had interrupted them to announce that dinner was ready.

Nyx told him to focus on the good stuff and that Ignis would surely bring the topic back up again if it really had been an important question.

Content with that for now, Gladio spent some time with his sister. While their father was off to visit Regis, they tended to the flower beds in the garden. 

Of course, at some point, they ended up throwing soil at each other. Yet, in the end, the siblings laughed together.

In the afternoon, he got a short text from the prince.

Noctis:  
_Iggy switches from sighing to humming and back every five seconds. I think you might have broken him._

Gladio:  
_Don't think I'm any better off._

Noctis:  
_Idiots._  
_I'm happy for you, though._

Gladio:  
_Thanks_ ♥

As the night came, Gladio had to admit that he'd been having mood swings during the last hours. While, all in all, he was happy about yesterday, he couldn't stop feeling anxious about the next week. Ignis had done his best to explain his actions from Tuesday, but there was no guarantee something similar wouldn't happen again. What if Ignis, once more, backpedaled now? What if yesterday wouldn't change anything about how they interacted with each other from now on? 

Before he could spiral too far into his dark thoughts, he called Nyx again. He told him all his worries, and somehow his best friend managed to calm him down enough that he could fall asleep.  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Show a sign of life if you managed to read through this way-too-long chapter!
> 
> \---
> 
> I hope you've enjoyed reading! Feel free to drop a comment, reading your thoughts and impressions keeps me going ♥
> 
> I'm using Twitter on a daily basis, so if you're ever interested in any updates, you know where to look!  
> [Check out my Profile to find me on Tumblr or Twitter!](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SophiaHoppia/profile)
> 
> [Or simply check out my other fanfictions!](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SophiaHoppia/works)


	14. 14.1. [Monday] - Change

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Actually, as a stand-alone, there isn't much going on in this chapter.   
> But this week will be wild, so enjoy this casual chapter/Monday for now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since the original chapter 14 had 68k words, I've decided to split it up. (Same with chapter 15 'cause that's probably gonna be long as well.)   
> Therefore, from now on, there'll be one chapter for each day!
> 
> So these 4k words are only the prelude to what's going to happen next~

Gladio was still half asleep when he turned off his alarm on Monday morning. Once he noticed a text message from Ignis waiting for him, though, he sat up in bed as if struck by lightning. Ignis had texted him!

Ignis:  
 _I wish you a good morning, Gladiolus._  
 _I just wanted to let you know that this week will get rather busy. Therefore I might not always be able to reply to your messages immediately._

Gladio:  
 _Morning, Iggy!_  
 _Make sure you get enough sleep even though you're busy._

Blinking, he stared at his phone for a few moments, but there was no answer. Only now did he realize that Ignis had texted him about an hour ago. Just how early a riser was the other?

Reluctantly, he got out of bed and went to the bathroom before he walked downstairs. Iris sat at their small kitchen table, chewing on a simple slice of bread with cheese on it.

"Morning," he mumbled, still half asleep.   
"Morning," his sister answered without her usual energy. That made Gladio stop in his tracks. Not only was she lacking her cheerfulness, but also, she was _alone_.  
"Where's dad?"  
"Not home," she replied without enthusiasm.  
"Ah, okay. Guess he spent the night at Regis's home."   
His sister only hummed in confirmation.  
"What about Jared?" Gladio was wondering that their butler was nowhere to be seen at this hour.  
"He has a cold and won't be here the next days."

Well, that explained his sister's lack of energy. Although she never admitted it, she got lonely rather quickly.   
"Want me to walk you to school?"  
"I'm enough of a grown-up to go on my own," she retorted before she took a sip from her glass of milk. Gladio had no idea when exactly she had started to act all grown up and mature, but he had a feeling this would get exhausting over time.  
"I know you're able to. I just offered my company. So I'll walk with you, okay?" He tried his best to appease her, and she nodded in agreement.

As he brewed himself a cup of coffee, he remembered that his sister needed to take some food with her. Unlike him, she didn't have the opportunity to go to a cafeteria during her lunch break. 

Opening the fridge, he frowned. Jared usually went grocery shopping on Mondays, so there wasn't much to choose from. And Gladio didn't trust his cooking skills enough to come up with a recipe on a Monday morning. 

With a sigh, he stuck to bread and cheese. If it was good enough for breakfast, it was good enough for lunch as well. Variety was a luxury they didn't have right now. 

On second thought, he opened the fridge again. There were still some small tomatoes left. He took them out of the fridge, washed them, and added them to Iris's lunch box. When he put the bread and cheese in it, he realized that he had no idea how much his little sister even ate. Cluelessly, he just kept on piling bread and cheese slices until the lunch box was filled to the brim.

Together with his coffee cup and his own cheese bread, he joined his sister at the table. 

It took him a few tries, but eventually, he got Iris to talk about school and her friends, her eyes slowly starting to sparkle as her energy was coming back to her. 

After breakfast, he accompanied her to school before he went to the Citadel for work. Since the recruits were training outside the walls together with Cor today, Gladio could focus on _his_ workout. Once he had changed into his training clothes, he noticed a text message on his phone.

Ignis:  
 _I'll do my best to get some rest if possible._

A small sigh left him. He had a feeling that the advisor would be overworking himself this week. He knew him well enough to know that there was no way to stop him from working and fulfilling his duty, but Gladio still made a mental note to check in on Ignis's well-being from time to time this week. _How_ he would do that without upsetting or bothering him was still a mystery to him, though.

For now, however, Gladio focused on his training. Since he was looking after the recruits more often now, he had been missing out on his workout. It wouldn't do for the shield of the future king to slack off that much forever. And speaking of slacking off: ever since Noctis had finished school and began attending more council meetings, they rarely trained together anymore. That wasn't a good thing. He knew that the prince was busy and that paperwork and this political stuff were significant, but working out was important as well. Gladio wasn't with Noct 24/7, and the prince had to be able to defend himself. 

A sigh tumbled from his lips. Well, at least they had their joint training session with Ignis scheduled for this Wednesday again. For now, he should focus on his own workout. 

At his lunch break, Gladio went to the cafeteria. While it was always busy here, he immediately noticed that it was even busier today. Yet, he couldn't pinpoint why. Everyone just seemed to be in an uproar. Unfortunately, Ignis wasn't here. It had to be expected since the other rarely visited the cafeteria, but Gladio couldn't have helped to hope. 

Instead, he saw Verecunda sitting alone at a table, elbows on it, head in her hands as she sighed, staring into nothingness. 

"Yo," he greeted her, and she flinched awake from her trance. "Mind if I sit with you?"  
"Oh, Gladiolus! Feel free to sit down." Immediately, she pointed towards the vacant seat. Gladio sat down, putting his plate with curry and his sports drink on the table. 

"What are you day-dreaming about?" Maybe he was being nosy, but he couldn't quell his curiosity.  
" _Ignis_ ," she replied with a sigh, and Gladio felt his eye twitch for a short moment. Had she still not given up on him? Although he couldn't be mad at her since he knew very well just how irresistible the man was. 

"Any particular reason why?" he asked carefully, not knowing if he would like her answer.  
With a faraway expression on her face, she was gazing into the distance. " _Two_ reasons."  
"Care to fill me in?"  
As if she only now realized what she had said, she blushed, awkwardly fumbling with her hands. "Well, I-"  
"No need to be shy," he encouraged her. Why did he even want to hear her pining after Ignis? Maybe he was a bit masochistic today.

"Have you seen him today?" she whispered as if anyone could overhear them in this large and way too loud cafeteria where everyone kept yelling to drown out the other conversations.  
"No," he stated simply, leaning forward to hear her better.  
She followed his movement, holding her hand next to her mouth as she whispered, "He has his hair styled up, and somehow that makes him look even better."

Immediately Gladio remembered Ignis's look from their nights-out on the Friday before last. If he really had decided to wear this hairstyle to work now as well, Gladio couldn't blame the shy maid for blushing and sighing.  
"Ah, that look suits him, yeah," he confirmed with a nod, and her eyes widened in surprise. Although he had to admit that Ignis looked even better with his hair all ruffled up after Gladio had tickled him in his bed on Saturday. He quickly dismissed this thought as he felt heat rushing to his cheeks.

"You know that look on him?" She had leaned back again and wasn't whispering anymore. Although her usual volume of voice wasn't that much louder anyway.   
"Yeah," Gladio confirmed, a childish feeling of pride rushing through him. He had seen Ignis in states she never had and probably never would. It boosted his ego, even though, deep down, he also felt sorry for her. "Although he has never worn that look at work."

There was a melancholic expression on her face as she fumbled with the tip of one of her two braids. "You are so lucky to be Ignis's friend and even spend your free time with him."  
"I'm blessed, I know." He really felt that way. During these last weeks, he had gotten closer to Ignis than he had ever dared to hope before. And while he had to admit that he was anxious and impatient, he would do his best to get even closer.

For a while, they ate in silence until he suddenly remembered her earlier statement. "You've said something about _two_ reasons. What else?"  
She looked up in surprise, blinking, her long brown bangs almost covering her eyes. In that regard, she was just like Ignis: They tried to hide behind their hair. Although the advisor had changed his hairstyle today. Gladio couldn't help but wonder if it had happened on a whim or if there was some kind of resolve behind it.   
"You haven't heard yet? Everyone is in an uproar and keeps talking about it."  
"Uh, no," he answered honestly. Was that why everyone seemed even more agitated today?

"Well, maybe that's good. You know how fast rumors stray from the truth. But I can tell you exactly what happened because I've witnessed it all." Verecunda had almost sounded proud at the end.  
"Now, I'm curious. Tell me," Gladio urged her on.  
"Ignis outsmarted these councilmen like no one ever dared to before." She clenched his fists in victory, determination in her eyes as if remembering it had sparked her motivation. "At first, his project plan had gotten declined. I don't know much about the things they talk about in these meetings. But even I had noticed some of the council members decline Ignis's proposals just for the sake of rejecting them. It's like, no matter what Ignis proposes, they always vote against it, referring to some old laws and traditions. Yet this morning, Ignis had a second plan ready at hand."

She happily clapped her hands together, her eyes sparkling. "It was as if Ignis had foreseen which arguments they would use against his first proposal, and he was using just those exact arguments _for_ his second project plan. If they had gone against that as well, they would have contradicted themselves. They would have overridden their earlier arguments, and therefore Ignis's first suggestion would have been valid again. So no matter what they did, they _had_ to go with one of his two proposals. They were so mad, seriously. I was afraid one of them might lash out at him, but of course, these old guys wouldn't do something like that."

"Huh, Iggy is amazing," Gladio mentioned with a weak smile on his lips. It wasn't surprising that Ignis had been able to do that. However, it was surprising that he really had gone through with it. Was that because of their talk on Saturday? After all, Gladio had suggested kicking their asses. Although, he had forgotten that Ignis would make a lot of enemies with that. He just hoped that these old geezers wouldn't come up with anything to get revenge on him. In the end, these politicians _were_ sore losers.

"Ignis was brilliant," Verecunda dreamily said with another sigh. 

During the rest of their meal, she kept telling him what was unsympathetic about almost every council member. Some of them never greeted her, while others were impolite and ungrateful in general. He was a bit surprised that a shy girl like Verecunda could rant like that, but maybe she was starting to feel comfortable around him and opened up a bit. Also, spending so much time with Domicella had probably molded her character as well.

After lunch, Gladio had to attend a meeting on his own. He didn't know the maid in charge, and Ignis wasn't there either. Actually, Cor had been supposed to attend this meeting, but he had ordered him to come in his stead. His father should have been here as well, but he never showed up. Gladio deduced that he must have been busy otherwise. 

During the meeting, they discussed recent activities in enemy territory. While the capital was far away from the border, it never hurt to know what was going on there. 

Gladio didn't know who of these council members had been present this morning as well, but he noticed that the atmosphere was tense enough to explode at any moment. Usually, these meetings bored him to no end, no matter the topic, but today, he couldn't even relax. He felt on edge the whole time, expecting an escalation every time someone disagreed with someone. 

Fortunately, nothing happened. 

Exhausted, Gladio went home a bit earlier today. He didn't intend to leave his sister alone for too long, and he still needed to take care of dinner somehow in Jared's stead.

Iris hugged him as soon as he entered the house, although she immediately let go of him at the next moment, stating that she hadn't been lonely at all. _Yeah, sure._ Gladio knew better than that. 

Happily, she agreed when he asked her to go grocery shopping with him. 

At the supermarket, Gladio was at a loss. He was used to relying on Jared for food no matter what time of the day. For a moment, he pondered to ask Ignis for advice and if he could share a few easy recipes with him. Yet, on the one hand, he didn't want to bother Ignis while he was busy, and on the other hand, Gladio dreamed about proudly telling him that he had cooked for his family today. 

When he asked his sister if she had any wishes for tonight's dinner, her eyes sparkled as she mentioned spaghetti. While he accepted her suggestion with a smile, he sighed in relief on the inside. He could manage that much. 

Yet after putting the noodles in his shopping basket, he already felt at a loss. How the hell does one make tomato sauce? Should he buy tomatoes? Or sieved tomatoes? Maybe tomato soup? As he stared at the supermarket shelves with crossed arms, his eyes fell on a glass with instant tomato sauce. Quickly he checked the instructions written on it and was relieved that he just had to heat that stuff in a pot. Perfect.

For tomorrow's breakfast and lunch, he picked up everything he needed to make sandwiches: toast, cheese, ham. On second thought, he added one head of lettuce to his shopping basket as well. While it always tasted like green nothingness, he knew that Jared never made sandwiches without it. Surely their butler wouldn't do this without a good reason.

At home, he immediately started to make dinner. Taking out two pots, he filled one with water and the other with tomato sauce. Turning on the stove, he put the pots on it. Since he knew that it took some time until the water began to boil, he sat down at the kitchen table, helping his sister with her homework. 

Somehow, he felt proud when he noticed that she didn't even need much help. She was a clever girl. 

At some point, Iris looked up with huge eyes. "It's a volcano!"  
"Huh?" He blinked in surprise before he followed her gaze and his eyes fell on the pot with tomato sauce bubbling over and painting the kitchen red.

" _Shit_ ," he exclaimed as he leaped up from his chair to turn off the heat. The water wasn't even boiling yet, but the sauce was already overheating. Why hadn't anyone told him that these two things didn't need the same amount of time to be ready?

With a sigh, he kept staring at the water. Maybe it would boil faster if he didn't take his eyes off it.

Of course, his fiery gaze didn't help at all. 

Once the water was finally boiling and he put the spaghetti in it, he realized that the pot wasn't high enough for them to fit in completely. When he tried to push them in anyway, some of them broke, and his hand collided with the hot pot. " _Ouch_!" He flinched away in pain, sucking on his finger to ease the pain.   
"You okay?" his sister asked worriedly, but he reassured her that he was alright. He was capable of cooking spaghetti with tomato sauce. 

Diligently, he had set up a timer of ten minutes on his phone, so he would know when the noodles were ready to eat. 

His father came home just in time for dinner, and they all sat down at the dining table together. When Gladio put the spaghetti and sauce on plates, he realized that they hadn't bought any grated cheese. Well, it would be fine without it. 

To his dismay, he realized that the sauce was almost cold again by now. On top of that, part of it had burnt at the bottom of the pot. He hadn't even known that liquid stuff could get burnt like that.

"Why are half of the noodles still crunchy?" Iris asked as she chewed on her spaghetti with a displeased expression on her face.   
"Don't make such a fuss," he replied but couldn't stop from grimacing as he took his first bite.

His father sighed. "Thanks for cooking, Gladiolus. I'll take care of tomorrow's meal."  
Gladio felt bad. While he had tried his best, he knew that it hadn't turned out well. "When will Jared be back?"  
"Probably on Thursday," Clarus replied.

They all sighed in unison.

After a rather unsatisfying dinner and a quick shower, Gladio went to his room. He missed Ignis, and while he wouldn't dare to tell him about his cooking mishap, he could at least address what Verecunda had told him today. He was still surprised that Ignis had already set his plan in motion. On Saturday, he had been hesitant about it, but maybe he had talked it through with Noctis yesterday. Shortly, he wondered if that had been the reason the advisor had said he'd be busy this week. Maybe he knew that it would take a while to deal with the aftermath. After all, these council members wouldn't give in so easily.

Gladio:  
 _Guess you've already talked to Noct about how to handle these council members after all?_

A happy smile slipped to his lips as he immediately got a reply. 

Ignis:  
 _Have rumors already spread that far?_

Gladio:  
 _Far and fast, like a wildfire._  
 _Verecunda is even more in love with you now._

As soon as he sent the second message, he felt like punching himself in the gut for it. Why had he even mentioned that? 

Ignis:  
 _I've noticed her staring at me more than usual._

Gladio was surprised that Ignis even was aware of these things. But maybe he was paying closer attention to her after he had received her love letter. 

Groaning, he turned around on his bed. Why had they gotten back to that topic?

Gladio:  
 _She mentioned that you had your hair styled differently. Like you had at the bar?_

Ignis:  
 _Yes, like that. I was in the mood for a change._

A thoughtful hum left Gladio. He could feel Ignis's resolve.

Ignis:  
 _Was that a bad idea? It felt like everyone was staring at me today._

Gladio chuckled. It was so cute how Ignis suddenly got insecure again. He probably hadn't realized that everyone stared at him because he had gotten even more attractive - with his new hairstyle and because he had dared to oppose these untouchable council members.

Gladio:  
 _I'm pretty sure everyone turned their head to look at you since you're so badass with that styled up hair. Be careful that you don't accidentally seduce someone with that new look._

Gladio blinked in surprise when an image popped up in their chat, attached with a message.

Ignis:  
 _I might have accidentally sent you a selfie just now._

Gladio's cheeks lit up as he stared at the picture of Ignis with his hair styled up. There was the hint of a smile on his lips, his gaze sharp as if he knew exactly what he was doing. Nothing about that had been accidental. Ignis was flirting with him, and Gladio felt giddy because of it. 

Gladio:  
 _Fuck._  
 _You're hot!_

His reply might have been a bit blunt, but these were his honest thoughts. 

Ignis:  
 _As the royal advisor, I've got to keep up appearances._

A snort left Gladio. Of course, the other was talking himself out of it. But _shit_ , that picture was so hot. As he looked at it again, Gladio noticed Ignis's office in the background.

Gladio:  
 _Wait. You're still at work?_

Ignis:  
 _I'm afraid, yes. And if I want to leave soon, I should get back to work now._

Gladio:  
 _Don't overdo it!_

Ignis:  
 _I won't. Thank you._

While he was worried about the other's health, Gladio couldn't stop staring at that selfie he had received. Would it be weird to use it as a wallpaper for his phone? Probably. Oh well, he could just look at it in his picture gallery whenever he felt like it.

Picking up his book, he read for a while. But his thoughts kept going back to Ignis's picture. How could he be so turned on by a completely normal selfie? Ignis wasn't even naked or making a lascivious face. 

Suddenly, Gladio remembered that porn magazine he had bought last week. In a hurry, he fished it out of his nightstand drawer. As he browsed through the pages with pictures of half-undressed male office workers, he couldn't help but wish to see Ignis in this kind of state.

A thought crossed his mind.

And while he felt bad for it, knowing he was weird, he couldn't stop. Picking up his phone again, he put Ignis's selfie on display. Next, he lay his phone down on the magazine right on top of the face of the pictured man. 

_Fuck._ Gladio's dick twitched in interest as his fantasies were running wild. 

With one hand down his pants and the other browsing through the magazine with his phone on top, it didn't take him long to come.

Yet while he had reached a nice orgasm, he didn't feel completely satisfied. He was too needy and greedy lately, longing for sex with someone else - preferably with Ignis.

With a sigh, he opened the text messenger app on his phone. This time, he made sure to check twice that he wasn't writing in any group chat.

Gladio:  
 _What would you say if I told you that I've just masturbated to a selfie of Ignis lying on top of a porn magazine model?_

Nyx:  
 _Kinky but creative_ ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Gladio:  
 _And if I told you that even that wasn't enough? I want to touch him._

Nyx:  
 _Just be patient a bit longer, eagle boy. Maybe he will invite you to his home after he visited you last weekend. And since he lives alone, no one would disturb you by knocking at the door._

His heart beat faster as he imagined how last Saturday might have continued if they hadn't gotten interrupted. It really would be a good idea to visit Ignis at home next. Although he couldn't just invite himself over. No matter how needy he was, he wouldn't push Ignis so far.

Gladio:  
 _Sounds like a dream. Just like phone sex with Iggy would be a dream._

Nyx:  
 _You are really hung up on that one, aren't you?_

Gladio:  
 _Sorry. I'm trying not to be, but I can't stop imagining it._

Nyx:  
 _Can't really blame you. Phone sex is hot. Especially if I'm involved._

Gladio:  
 _Narcist._

Nyx:  
 _Hey, I'm just confident in my skills and know that my voice is irresistible._

Gladio:  
 _I hate that you are right about that._

Nyx:  
( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

With a snort, Gladio put his phone away. For now, he should stop thinking about sex and Ignis. It wouldn't do him any good to spend the evening longing for something he wouldn't get - at least not today. Maybe in the future? Gladio giggled.

In an attempt to distract himself from these thoughts, he picked up the book he had begun reading last week. 

After a few sentences, he was already getting lost in its story and spent the rest of his evening reading.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you've enjoyed reading! Feel free to drop a comment, reading your thoughts and impressions keeps me going ♥
> 
> I'm using Twitter on a daily basis, so if you're ever interested in any updates, you know where to look!  
> [Check out my Profile to find me on Tumblr or Twitter!](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SophiaHoppia/profile)
> 
> [Or simply check out my other fanfictions!](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SophiaHoppia/works)


	15. 14.2. [Tuesday] - I can teach you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gladio finally gets what he wants.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you are reading this fanfiction for porn, congratulations! From now on, (most of) the nsfw scenes are getting more detailed.   
> Yes, I just randomly dropped that information on you.

The next day, Gladio made sure to get up earlier than usual. When his little sister and father came down to the kitchen, he had already prepared enough sandwiches for all of them for breakfast and lunch.

Although he hadn't bought enough ham and cheese. 

Being a good family member, he left the better sandwiches for his family while he filled his own lunch box only with slices of toast and lettuce leaves.

For a Tuesday, there was too much chaos at the Citadel. After the recruits had trained under Cor yesterday, Gladio was in charge of handling them today. He didn't know what it was, but they were unfocused. Some of them didn't listen to his instructions at all, while others were simply slacking off. 

He felt his temper boiling up. If he didn't just have a bad day, he wasn't as strict as Cor, but that didn't mean they could act disrespectfully in his presence. When Gladio addressed their sloppiness, they complained that Cor had trained them too hard yesterday, and that they were exhausted. While Gladio knew just too well how wearying the marshall's training could be, that wasn't an excuse to take it easy today.

When he made them run some extra laps in the afternoon as their usual training period was already over, he felt sorry for Prompto and the few recruits that _hadn't_ slacked off today. But they needed to learn that they were all part of a team. In battle, it affected everyone if one of them messed up, letting enemies pass through their lines. Furthermore, it would only have aroused envy if he had let a few of them off from training earlier than the others.

At the end of this rather long workday, Gladio walked through the hallway of the Citadel, ready to go home. A smile slipped to his face as he noticed Ignis walking towards him. Unfortunately, the advisor was engrossed in a conversation with a council member. As far as Gladio knew, she was one of the more reasonable ones and not as old as the others. 

Ignis had his hair styled up today as well. And while he looked sexy with it, Gladio didn't miss the exhaustion on his face as they walked past each other. He just hoped that Ignis wouldn't have to stay much longer today and could get some rest tonight.

To his dismay, Cor called out to him just as he wanted to leave. Therefore, _Gladio_ was the one who had to stay longer. The marshall wanted to talk about today since he had noticed the recruits slacking off. While he had been holding back to let Gladio handle the situation, he told him that sometimes a commanding officer needed to be strict. 

One hour and a lecture about _how to handle lazy recruits_ later, Gladio was finally allowed to leave.

On his way home through the busy streets of Insomnia, Gladio suddenly noticed an incoming text message.

Ignis:  
 _What are you wearing?_

With a frown, he reread the words yet still couldn't make any sense of them. For a moment, he pondered to wait with his reply until he had reached his home, but it bothered him too much. As he continued walking, carefully not to run into anything, he replied.

Gladio:  
 _You saw me just now, you know what I'm wearing?!_

Ignis:  
 _How are you feeling?_

Gladio:  
 _Confused._

Ignis:  
 _Is that a good sign?_

After that, Gladio gave up trying to understand anything Ignis was texting him, hitting the call button instead. It kept ringing way too long, considering that the other couldn't be far from his phone after texting him only seconds ago. Just as he got a flashback of last Tuesday night, his call finally got picked up.

"Yes?" Ignis asked, almost timidly.  
"What in _Bahamut's name_ is going on?" Gladio wanted to know.  
"My apologies. It won't happen again." The other backed off at once, feeling attacked.  
"No, wait. That's not-" Gladio took a deep breath. "I'm just trying to understand."  
"I-" Ignis broke off before he had even begun to explain.

"Yes?" Gladio prompted after walking in silence for a while, almost at home now.  
" _Astrals_ , I've been doing a 360 with that one," Ignis cursed with a sigh.   
"I'm sorry, I don't follow. What were these text messages about?"

It was silent again. So long that Gladio thought the line had gone dead until suddenly, Ignis whispered, "Phone sex."  
"What?!" Gladio exclaimed. _That_ wasn't a direction he had expected this conversation to take.  
"Or sexting to be more accurate," the other corrected hastily. 

"I-" Gladio pinched the bridge of his nose. This couldn't be true. "Where does this come from all of a sudden?" 

Ignis sighed before he eventually started to talk non-stop like one usually only knew from Prompto.  
"During today's magic training session, Nyx mentioned between the lines that you can't forget about last Tuesday. I thought writing fanfiction about it might help me to get more comfortable with the topic. However, since I know nothing about it, I used Moogle to search for a guide. I've started to read it, but it felt peculiar, so I decided to try it out first. Although, I probably haven't thought that through at all. Anyway, it suggested starting with sexting if you were shy. Furthermore, it recommended asking what your partner is wearing and how they are feeling. So I've _sexted_ you these questions. Although it ended in nothing but confusing texts. Well, anyway, now we know for sure that I'm not cut out for that, so I won't bother you any longer-"

"Wait!" Gladio exclaimed as he sensed an opportunity slipping away. "Don't you dare hang up on me after all that!"

"But I-"  
"I need a moment to collect my thoughts." Taking a deep breath, Gladio continued. "I'm so glad that you've texted _me_ to try this out."  
"Well, who else should I go to with this?"  
"Noct?"  
"Astrals, no," Ignis declined at once.  
"Nyx?" 

There was a pause. A pause Gladio didn't know what to make of, but he couldn't say he disliked it.

"He _does_ have a nice voice, but I wanted to do this with _you_." 

The confession made his cheeks heat up. 

"Really?"  
"Yes," Ignis replied, quietly and shy. "But I failed."  
"I can teach you," Gladio blurted out on instinct.

The other went quiet again, and Gladio was already steeling himself for another rejection. However, this time would be different. If Ignis wasn't comfortable with this, Gladio wouldn't force him but accept his decision. Being told off was okay; being ignored -like last week- was not.

Eventually, Ignis whispered, "I haven't killed the mood yet?"   
Gladio snorted, raking his hand through his hair. "There's nothing to kill if the mood hasn't even been set yet."  
Ignis huffed. "It has been that bad, hasn't it?"  
"No sugarcoating it: yes." Gladio chuckled. "It had been so bad I didn't even catch on what was happening."

"Seems like I've got a lot to learn," the other realized, sounding a bit desperate.  
Determined, Gladio took in a deep breath. "My offer stands: I can teach you."

There was a lump in his throat as he waited for the next response. 

"If you don't mind, I'd like to accept that offer. Maybe you can tell me how it's supposed to be done? Theoretically," Ignis added hesitantly. "I am convinced you can explain it better than that guide.

"Okay, first and foremost: timing. Because I just right now arrived at home, and am about to get tackled by my little sister, _oof_!" Gladio hugged Iris for a moment before he let go of her with a few pats on her head.  
" _Gladdy!_ Who are you talking to?" she asked excitedly.  
"Someone very important, so you've gotta be quiet since we don't want to scare them off," Gladio explained, turning his gaze around in search of help. Fortunately, his father was already home.

"What about that story you were telling me, Iris?" his dad asked, and she immediately ran back towards him, excitedly talking about a picture book she had read today. Silently Gladio mouthed a ' _thank you'_ towards his dad before he ran up the stairs.

"Okay, I'm in my room now, and I've locked the door." Catching his breath, he flopped down on his bed, looking at his ceiling.

"My apologies for not checking in if the timing was right." Ignis sounded flustered.  
Gladio relaxed, the bed comfortable and soft beneath him. "Don't worry, nothing bad happened. And I've got enough time now."  
"So do I."  
Gladio was surprised by that answer. He thought Ignis had said that he would be busy all week. "No more work tonight?"  
It took moment before the other answered, and Gladio heard how a cup got placed down on a table. Ignis must have drank something. Probably coffee. "I've been told not to overdo it."  
"Perfect."  
Ignis hummed in confirmation, and Gladio closed his eyes to focus on the sounds. 

"Alright. As with most things, getting started is the most difficult part, so you want to be prepared. Especially when you are not used to it." Gladio wasn't an expert about phone sex either. He had done it a few times with Nyx, but he never had to think about it. It had just naturally worked out with his best friend. Probably because they were used to intimate talks anyway.

Closing his eyes, he tried to collect his thoughts. "First, you should be sure you have your partner's consent. Like, if you haven't set a time anyway, make sure they are up to it now."  
"That sounds reasonable, yes," Ignis replied, and Gladio heard the sounds of a laptop keyboard.  
"What are you doing?" he asked with a frown.  
"Taking notes," the other replied.

Gladio had to hold back a groan. They were only doing this theoretically, so he had no right to complain. What had he even expected? Phone sex with Ignis? _Yeah, dream on._

"Okay," Gladio continued, "so when the timing is right, next is the location."  
"For example?"  
"Well, you might want to lie on your couch, in the bathtub, on the bed, sit on your kitchen table, or wherever." He shrugged even though the other couldn't see it. "Whatever you're in the mood for."

A thoughtful hum left the advisor's lips.  
"Hm?" Gladio sensed a question there.  
"Would it be advantageous if I moved to the bedroom? It might help to understand the mood."  
"Sure, I'd recommend it," Gladio replied, taking a deep breath. Maybe it was too early to give up hope. If he did this right, he might actually get what he had desired for a whole week.

He heard a door getting closed, the ruffling of sheets, and then Ignis spoke up again. "Alright, I'm ready to continue. Were these all the necessary steps of preparation?"  
"No," Gladio denied. "You have to decide what to wear as well."  
"It's phone sex and no video call, right?" Ignis asked, confused.  
"Well yeah, but you often describe what you're wearing. So you either go with an outfit you know your partner likes or with something you are feeling sexy or simply comfortable with. Of course, you can just be naked as well."  
"Those are a lot of options," Ignis replied, and Gladio heard him keying in the information again. Ignis must have taken his laptop with him tot he bedroom. Somehow Gladio felt challenged by that. It would be a triumph if he got Ignis riled up enough to forget about taking notes. Although that wouldn't be an easy task. "And you just describe what you are wearing?"

"I guess, yeah. You can try it. Tell me what you're wearing right now." Gladio knew that he was playing with fire, but he wouldn't mind if he got burned. It couldn't end worse than last Tuesday night.

"I'm wearing my usual work attire," Ignis stated simply.  
"I've always wondered how many versions of this exact same outfit you own."  
"Ten."  
Gladio snorted. Of course, he had that many. "Okay, just for practice: describe it for me."  
"Alright," Ignis replied, a bit wary but not averse to it. "I'm wearing a black vest over a white dress shirt along with black dress pants and white socks."  
"Don't mention the socks," Gladio immediately interrupted him.  
"But I'm wearing them."  
"It's a turn-off."  
"Hm," Ignis hummed, and Gladio heard him moving on the bed. "I've taken them off."

Gladio took in a sharp breath as he imagined Ignis undressing even further. "Depending on your relationship with your partner, you can also add some details. For example, I'm wearing the same training shorts I had worn at our training session two weeks ago when we almost kissed."

" _Oh,_ " Ignis exhaled into the phone, and Gladio felt a shudder running through his whole body. That had sounded way too sexy. He wanted to coax that sound out of him again.

"Noticed how it has a different effect if you describe it like that?"  
"Yes," Ignis replied shortly, his voice quieter than before. "Are these-"   
There was silence and Gladio could imagine Ignis chewing on his bottom lip. Softly, he prompted him to go on. "Hm?"  
"Are these shorts everything you are wearing right now?"

A grin found its way to Gladio's lips. At lightning speed, he sat up to take off his shirt and pull off his socks. "Yeah. Just these training pants over black boxer shorts. And on my upper body, I'm wearing my eagle tattoo."  
There was a sharp intake of breath. "That sounds like a nice outfit."

Gladio felt his heart rate speeding up. "Wearing an outfit your partner likes is never the wrong way to go."  
"What does one usually do while describing the outfits?" Ignis asked, and Gladio pouted when, in the background, he heard him keying something in again.   
"Usually, you are just at whatever location you had chosen, comfortably imagining your partner before your inner eye," Gladio explained. "Although we have kinda skipped a step. Before you start to describe your outfit, you have to finish the last preparation."  
"Such as?"

Loudly, Gladio pulled open the drawer of his nightstand and grinned when he heard Ignis inhaling sharply. "You should get everything ready that you might need: tissues, lube, toys."

"Okay, let me check if I got the right order: You choose the time, location, and clothes, get everything ready at hand, and then you start by describing your clothes?"

"That's the basic version, yes," Gladio confirmed, although that analytic approach was close to killing the mood again. He had almost forgotten that this was only a research project for Ignis.

"What comes next?"   
At least Ignis was eager about this.  
Closing his eyes, Gladio thought for a moment. "There are many possibilities on how to continue from here on. You could roleplay, ask questions - elaborated ones or simple yes/no/maybe ones, talk about phantasies, tell your partner what you would do to them, or simply order them what to do now."

"Would you mind giving me some examples?"  
"To which?"  
"All of them," Ignis replied, and Gladio chuckled. Maybe the other was a bit _too_ _eager_ about all that, but Gladio could use that to his advantage.   
"It's difficult on my own, so you've got to help me out."  
"But I don't know how to," Ignis immediately returned.  
"I'll help you and tell you if something went wrong."  
"Like mentioning the socks."  
Gladio snorted. "Yeah, like that."  
"Alright," the other finally gave in, and Gladio smelled his chance.

"Classic roleplay tropes are nurse, policeman, teacher, stuff like that," he listed although he had long but decided on the perfect roles for them. And he knew that Ignis couldn't deny it. "But you can roleplay just anyone, really. How about we go with Aegis and Liber? That should be perfect for writing your fanfiction later."

"Don't think I wouldn't notice what you are doing here," Ignis replied, and Gladio's eyes widened. Had he gone too far? "You are always trying to impress others, _Aegis_."

_Jackpot._

"Oh, _Liber_. You think you know it all, but you don't." Gladio smirked. "How about we ask each other some questions? Don't overthink it. Short answers are enough."  
"Alright, you start."

Gladio was fine with that. He would start, and he would take it slow. The night was still young, and even if he already felt impatient, he wouldn't dare to risk pushing the other too fast and out of reach again.

"Are you feeling comfortable right now, Liber?"  
There was a moment of silence before the answer came, a bit perplexed by this simple question. "Yes. Do you honestly believe that I will be able to do this?"

A thoughtful hum left Gladio's lips. "I want you to. And you've always been a quick learner with good intuition, so yes, you will."

Ignis took in a deep breath at that reply. Gladio seized that chance to try something. "Do you like to get praised?"

"I have never thought about it, but yes," Ignis admitted. "Aegis, are you not embarrassed to ask these personal and intimate questions?"

Gladio snorted. That had been nothing: he was only getting started. "No, I've always had a wicked tongue. Isn't it difficult to use such fancy speech all the time?"

"Not at all. What else is your tongue good for?" Ignis asked, going back to their previous topic. If he asked such a direct question, Gladio wouldn't hold back.  
"Kissing, caressing nipples, sucking dicks-"  
A chuckle interrupted him. "You couldn't have said fellatio, could you?"  
"No. Do you not like it when I say _dicks_?"

Ignis sighed. "I guess I don't mind if it's you."  
There was a pause as the advisor wrote something down again.  
"Maybe you wanna focus on practicing this before taking notes," Gladio carefully suggested.  
"You might be right," Ignis replied, and Gladio grinned. They were getting somewhere. Eagerly he awaited Ignis's next question. 

"How many people have you had phone sex with before me?"  
"Just one," Gladio admitted honestly. "Are you jealous now?"  
"Maybe." The reply had come fast and sternly. "Who was it?"

_Shit._ Gladio racked his brain, trying to remember how Ignis had called Nyx in his fanfiction. "Iucundus."   
Ignis hummed, somehow appreciatively, and Gladio seized the chance. "Do you think he's attractive?"

A sigh. "Unfortunately, yes. Does that bother you?"  
"No," Gladio chuckled, surprised by this honest reply. "His charms are irresistible. Apparently even to you, Liber." Taking a deep breath, he carefully introduced the next step. "Do you trust me?"  
"Yes," Ignis answered without any hesitation. "Why do you ask?"  
"Would it be okay if I sometimes told you what to do instead of asking a question?"  
"I suppose."

Gladio felt like he was burning up. This slow pace was driving him mad. They hadn't even gotten anywhere near the juicy topics, but Gladio had already felt his dick stirring. He had dreamed about phone sex with Ignis too often these last days. His anticipation made him impatient.

"It's difficult to come up with questions," Ignis suddenly whispered. 

"We don't have to take turns," Gladio said before the other could even think about calling it all off. "I could take the lead, and you only ask or order me something when you're feeling up to it."

" _Order_ ," Ignis repeated with a snort.  
"You would be good at that," Gladio admitted.  
"Would you like that, Aegis? For me, to-" Ignis hesitated for a moment, yet when he spoke up again, his voice was an octave deeper "- _dominate_ you?"  
" _Fuck_ , yes!" A shudder went through Gladio's whole body.  
"Interesting," the other whispered into the phone. "I might have to conduct some research on this topic."

Gladio burst out laughing. " _Research_. That's so you."  
"I beg your pardon?"  
"Practice makes perfect," Gladio replied with a smirk.  
Ignis clicked his tongue. "I like to be prepared before I practice."  
" _Prepared_ , huh?"

The flustered exhale told Gladio that Ignis had very well understood what kind of preparation he was hinting at. Maybe that was Gladio's chance. "Have you prepared for this call as well?"

"I have chosen the bedroom as a location, yes," Ignis replied warily.  
"And have you prepared anything you might need later? Tissues, lube." Gladio knew he was pushing it now, but he needed to turn this phone call into phone _sex_.

When he heard shuffling and a drawer being opened on the other side of the line, he held his breath.   
"Yes," Ignis whispered, and Gladio couldn't stop the moan that tumbled from his lips. "Did you just-"  
"Sorry," Gladio apologized, hoping that hadn't scared the other off.  
"I don't mind," Ignis replied, but Gladio noticed that wasn't all. Patiently he waited until the other spoke up again, voice quiet. "It wasn't a bad sound."

"Have you ever thought about me while touching yourself?" Gladio had blurted out the question.  
"Yes." The response was quiet but honest.  
"Where have you imagined my touch?" Closing his eyes, Gladio tried to imagine Ignis's body.  
"On my chest."  
"Imagined me sucking your nipples?"  
"Yes, Aegis," Ignis replied, and Gladio had to hold back a grown as he opened his eyes again. He had almost forgotten they were still roleplaying. If he was honest, he wanted to do this with Ignis and not with Liber. But if it was easier for the other that way, he would roll with it. At least, for a little while longer.

"Do you like it when your nipples get touched, Liber?"  
"Indeed."

Gladio couldn't stop grinning as he realized that the other really was going along with this now. Eagerly, he went for more.  
"Where else have you imagined me touching you?"  
"Further down," Ignis replied, as always knowing his way with words, avoiding any direct descriptions.

"Are you feeling hot?" Gladio asked because _he_ was feeling hot by now. But he knew that he had started all this with a different level of anticipation.  
"A bit."

"Then open the buttons of your vest and shirt." It was the first time Gladio had ordered him to do something instead of just asking. Holding his breath, he awaited Ignis's reaction.   
"Should I take them off?"  
Gladio took in a sharp breath. "No, just open them. I like that ruffled look."  
Ignis snorted. "Just like in that magazine of yours?"  
"Yes," Gladio chuckled, feeling only a bit guilty as he remembered what exactly he had done with that magazine and Ignis's selfie just yesterday. When he heard the rustling of fabric in the background, he inhaled sharply. Ignis was really opening the buttons of his shirt.

"Aegis?" The question sounded hesitant.  
"Yeah?"   
"Do _you_ like it when someone touches your chest?"  
Gladio hummed in thought. "I'm not that much into it as others are, but I still enjoy it."  
"Oh," Ignis exhaled, and Gladio hadn't missed the tinge of disappointment.  
"Would you like to touch me there?" Gladio carefully avoided too direct descriptions, hoping that would make it easier for the other.  
"Yes," was the whispered reply.   
"Where else?" Gladio asked greedily.  
"I'd trace the pattern of your tattoo," Ignis admitted. With a hum, Gladio let his free hand wander over his shoulder where he knew his tattoo rested against his skin. 

It was only then that Gladio realized something significant. "Aegis doesn't have a tattoo," he mumbled, and Ignis took in a sharp breath.  
"I-"   
Before the other could blurt out an apology or take it back, Gladio interrupted him. "I've been wondering." He held his breath for a moment. "Since Liber likes to get his nipples touched, would Ignis enjoy that as well?"

"Yes, Gladiolus." The reply had been immediate. With it, Gladio once again got reminded how much he loved it when Ignis said his name.

"Touch them, Iggy," he ordered, his voice low and seductive.

The rustling of fabric.

A moan.

Gladio groaned as his dick twitched, trapped inside his pants. "Touch the left one," he instructed, using his free hand to touch his own nipple as well. "Rub it between your thumb and forefinger."

Ignis's breath was stuttering on the other side of the line, and Gladio had his eyes closed as he imagined Ignis lying in his bed, shirt unbuttoned, touching his chest.

"The right one now," he directed the other's touch while his own hand followed the same movements.

"Gladiolus." It sounded like a cry for help.

"Are you feeling overwhelmed?"  
"Yes." Another whine. Gladio _loved_ how vocal Ignis was.

"Trust me," he whispered.  
"I do."  
"Tell me if it gets too much." Gladio didn't want to stop now that they were finally feeling it, but what he wanted even less was the other to feel uncomfortable.  
"It's okay," Ignis returned, trying to keep his voice straight.

"Keep touching your right nipple," Gladio instructed, earning a bitten back moan. "Don't hold back your sounds. Phone sex is about _hearing_ the other."

Another moan, louder this time. " _Gladiolus_."  
"Fuck, I love it when you call out my name like that," he admitted, pinching his nipple just a bit firmer.  
A whine tumbled from Ignis's lips.  
"How do you prefer to touch your nipples? Soft and teasingly grazing over them? Or twisting them firm and hard?"  
"Both," Ignis moaned in response. "I enjoy both ways."  
"Can you imagine how it would feel if I sucked on it? Softly kissing it with my lips, teasingly swirling my tongue around it, sharply sucking on it."

" _Gladiolus!_ " Ignis called out again, and Gladio could hear him tossing and turning in the sheets. He was really feeling it. Gladio's breath stuttered as he imagined the sight. 

Suddenly, Ignis spoke up. "Are you touching yourself as well?"  
"Yeah." Gladio had breathed out his response.  
Ignis exhaled. "Where?"  
"Same place as you. I'm massaging my right nipple."  
"That's," Ignis stopped as another moan tumbled from his lips, "not fair."  
"Huh?"  
"They aren't your weak points. You're not feeling it as much as I am. Where are _you_ sensitive?"  
"My neck," Gladio admitted at once, eager now that Ignis was showing real interest in this. His fingers were already traveling up to graze the soft skin. "Would you kiss it?"  
"Yes," Ignis replied with a sigh. Taking a deep breath as if he had to gather his courage, he added, "Long and hard enough to leave my mark on you. Showing everyone that you belonged to _me_."  
" _Fuck_ , yeah," Gladio moaned. This possessive nature was unexpected, but he couldn't say that he disliked it. "Touch your other nipple again."

A deep moan echoed through the phone, and Gladio shuddered. 

While he loved lips on his neck, he had to admit that it didn't feel the same with just his fingers. So, there was only one way to go. "Do you know where else I'm sensitive?"

"Where?" Ignis asked without hesitation.

"My hipline," Gladio explained, his hand already traveling lower as he described his next actions. "So I'll pull down the hem of my pants just a bit to touch there."

Ignis inhaled sharply. "A light touch?"

"Yeah, I like that. Just fingertips grazing over it. I'm usually too impatient to do it right on my own."  
"I could do it," Ignis suggested, and Gladio moaned at the imagination.  
"I bet you could. You have skilled fingers."  
The other hummed. 

"Gladiolus?"  
"Yeah?"  
Ignis was quiet for a moment except for his elaborated intake of breaths. "Are you hard as well?"

" _Fuck_ , yes, Iggy." Gladio felt relief dropping from his shoulders. Ignis was feeling it just as much as he was. "I'm rockhard. My pants are so tight. There's already a wet spot of precum."

Ignis whined, his breath stuttering.

"Can I take them off, Iggy?"  
Ignis whined. "Yes."  
" _Shit_ , okay, okay," Gladio fumbled his pants down with one hand, trying to keep his sanity. Ignis was driving him crazy with his sounds. He moaned in relief when he finally freed his erection from its confining prison. "Will you take yours off as well?"  
"I-" Ignis started to say but broke off. "My hands are shaking from nervousness."

"That's so cute," Gladio chuckled.  
"Don't mock me," Ignis said, more sharply.  
"I won't. I've got you, don't worry," Gladio tried to reassure the other. "I would be nervous as well if I were with you right now."  
"Yeah?"  
"Yeah," Gladio repeated, his hand still caressing his hipline, his neglected dick twitching in anticipation. "I would crawl up to you between your legs." 

Ignis took in a sharp breath.

"With shaking fingers, I would try to open your belt, but I would be too clumsy to get it done. Could you help me?"

First, there was shuffling on the other side off the line, then a click. "It's open," Ignis breathed into the phone.  
"Well done, Iggy," he praised him, and the other whined.  
"Next, I would open the button of your pants, then open the fly." Gladio took in a sharp breath as he heard the sound of a zipper getting pulled down. "Lift your hips to pull down your pants a bit."

"Gladiolus," Ignis whined, once again searching for help.  
"Shh, I've got you. I know what you need." Gladio licked his lips as he imagined the scene. "You are so hard, Iggy. Just for me?"  
"Yes," Ignis whispered.  
"I would trace the outline of your erection beneath your underwear, cup it with my large hand."  
"Gladiolus," he called out in need.  
"Will you pull them down for me?"

Gladio's dick twitched as he listened to another shuffling sound, followed by a sharp intake of breath.

He grinned. "As soon as you've freed your erection, I would trap it in my hot mouth again."  
A high-pitched moan left Ignis's lips.  
"Are you touching yourself, imagining it to be my mouth?"  
"Yes," Ignis admitted quietly.  
"Good," Gladio breathed out as he finally grabbed his own erection as well. "I would suck you hard and fast, impatient as I am."

Ignis whined in need. "Please."  
"I would swirl my tongue around your tip, lick up the beads of precum before I went down on you again, taking you deeper."  
" _Gladiolus_ ," Ignis called out again. Gladio felt his hot cock pulsing in his hand. He loved it when his partners were vocal in bed, and apparently, Ignis was.

Licking his lips, he continued to tell his fantasies. "My hot tongue would slide along the underside of your cock as I took you deeper and deeper."  
"I'd grab your hair," Ignis suddenly whispered, and a deep feral moan left Gladio.   
" _Fuck!_ "  
"I'd pull on it," Ignis said breathlessly.  
"Yes, _yes_ ," Gladio panted, speeding up the movements of his hand.

"Can I put you on speaker?" Ignis asked suddenly.  
"Why?"  
"To have another hand free." The reply had been nothing but a breathless whisper, but Gladio felt a smirk appearing on his lips.

" _Oh,_ anything you plan on doing with that other hand?"  
"Gladiolus, please, I," Ignis broke off, his breath elaborated.  
"Yeah?"  
"I can't just like that, I mean, I want, I _need-_ "

Never before had Gladio witnessed Ignis being so out of it. It made him want to tease him even more, although he would prefer doing that when he actually _saw_ him.

"What do you need?" Gladio asked.  
"Something, my behind-" 

For someone who knew his way with words so well, Ignis was surprisingly troubled to talk about anything intimate. But that didn't change the fact that he had just begged him for more. It was riling Gladio up.

" _Astrals_ , yes. Grab some lube and put a finger in your ass."  
"Just one?" Ignis asked, and Gladio growled.  
"You can take _two_ right at the start?"  
A confirmative hum.  
"Do it. Fuck, Iggy, _do it_. That's so hot."  
Gladio heard the cap of a bottle of lube getting opened, a familiar squelching sound, silence for a moment, and then: a deep moan.

Gladio's dick twitched. Ignis's fingers were thinner than his own, but still: The other must be used to this if he could easily take two at once.

"I would love to finger you while I blow you," Gladio said, going back to their setting.  
"How-" Ignis started to ask but broke off again.  
"Don't be shy. You're doing great so far."  
Another whine left Ignis's lips at the praise. "How would you move your fingers?"  
"Slowly at first while I slowed the movements of my head as well," Gladio explained, wishing he could really suck the other off right now. "Until you got used to it."  
"My hips are bucking into your touch," Ignis said, and Gladio was thankful for that mental image.

"Then, I would speed up my movements and pull my fingers further back while my head bobbed up again. I'd push deeper into you as I moved down again, my fingers spreading you while my tongue swirled around you."

A stuttered intake of breath. 

"Once I found your prostate, I would keep on hitting it."

A high-pitched whine. "Gladiolus. Gladiolus." Ignis kept on changing his name, his breathing speeding up.   
"I wouldn't stop. I'd make you feel so good."  
"I," Ignis moaned again, "I wouldn't last long."  
"That's good," Gladio breathed out as he tightened the grip around his erection. "I want to make you come after all."

Another needy whine between fast intakes of breath. "Gladiolus."  
"I would put in a third finger."

" _Ah!_ " Ignis exclaimed, louder than before. Then, he held his breath. 

Gladio opened his eyes. Had Ignis come already?

Ignis trying to catch his breath made Gladio speed up his movements. "Done?"

"My apologies," the other whispered breathlessly.  
"It's alright. Did you feel good?"  
"Yes," Ignis admitted. "What should I-" Hesitantly, he broke off.  
"Talk me through it," Gladio begged, moving his hand even faster. He had to finish before the moment was broken.

"Are you close?" Ignis asked.  
"Yeah," he admitted breathlessly.  
"What do you need?"  
"Just-" All he needed was Ignis. Right here, right now.

"Yes?"  
"Iggy, please," Gladio whined in need. He wanted to come so badly. His erection was hot and heavy in his hand.  
"Whatever you need, Gladiolus."  
"You-"  
"I'm here, Gladiolus. I'm right here. I won't leave you," Ignis reassured him.

"I'm so close," Gladio mumbled.  
"Would you come for me?"  
"I'm trying," Gladio replied, a bit desperate.  
"You can do it," Ignis encouraged him.  
"I-"  
"Do it for me, Gladiolus. _Please._ "  
" _Hng_ ," Gladio bit down on his bottom lip, squeezing his eyes shut.  
"Come for me," Ignis ordered a bit more strict before he seductively whispered, " _Gladiolus_."

As his orgasm finally hit him, Gladio curled his toes. His whole body was shuddering as pleasure waved through him, his hand milking every last drop out of him. 

"I-" He needed a moment to catch his breath. "I haven't come that hard in a while."  
Ignis hummed in approval.  
"Thanks, Iggy."  
"I have to thank you," the other whispered quietly.  
"Are you getting shy again?"  
Ignis clicked his tongue, and Gladio could imagine him chewing on his bottom again before he answered. "What gave me away?"  
"I don't know. It's just that certain pitch in your voice."  
Ignis chuckled. "You know me better than I do."  
"I'll take that as a compliment," Gladio replied.  
"Never missing a chance to boost your ego."  
"Well, yeah. Of course."  
A snort. "I can almost see you winking when I hear you say that."  
"Well, apparently, _you_ know _me_ as well."  
They both chuckled.

"I've, um, well," Ignis nervously mumbled, "I've gotta clean up now."  
"Yeah, me too," Gladio returned. "Thanks for calling."  
"My pleasure."  
"It was a _pleasure_ , indeed," Gladio replied with a dirty grin.  
" _You!_ "

Gladio laughed again. "Have a nice evening, Iggy."  
"You too. See you tomorrow," Ignis replied and hung up.

Before he even went to clean up, Gladio immediately called his best friend.

" _Nyx_ ," he breathed raspily as soon as the glaive had picked up.  
"Well, _hello there_ , eagle boy. Haven't heard _that_ tone of voice from you in a while. Had a good time just now?" It was a bit creepy that Nyx could tell that much just from the sound of his voice, but it spared him any explanations.

"Better than you can imagine." A pleasant shudder went through his body at the memory.  
"Oh? Now I'm interested. Tell me about it."   
"I had phone sex with Iggy."  
"No way," his best friend exclaimed in disbelief.

"Tell me this isn't a dream," Gladio begged him.  
"Well," Nyx hummed thoughtfully. "I'm awake right now, so you should be as well."

" _Astrals_ , that really happened."  
"I want details, eagle boy, details!"  
"I'll tell you on Thursday," Gladio answered with a smirk.  
"You tease! You just called me to confirm this isn't a dream, didn't you?"  
"Sorry, man. I was just so happy I had to tell anyone."

"I'm glad you had a nice evening," his best friend said fondly.  
"Very nice, indeed," Gladio confirmed, still feeling blissed-out.  
"You love-sick little bird," Nyx chuckled.  
"Shut it, or I won't tell you anything when we meet up."

"Alright, alright. Enjoy the post-orgasm bliss as long as it lasts, eagle boy."  
"I will. And thank you for talking to Iggy today. He called me since you had mentioned it."  
"I'm glad I was able to help. See you on Thursday."  
"Yeah."

Gladio kept lying on the bed with a stupid grin on his face for a few more minutes. Eventually, though, he got up and went to the bathroom.

After a shower, dressed in fresh clothes, he went back down. His father and sister were already sitting at the dining table with a whole pile of pizza boxes. 

"Isn't that a bit much?" he asked with a snort as he sat down. When his father had promised to take care of dinner tonight, he hadn't expected takeout.

"It's for breakfast and lunch tomorrow as well," his sister exclaimed as she grabbed her next slice of salami pizza.

Well, Gladio wouldn't complain about that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you've enjoyed reading! Feel free to drop a comment, reading your thoughts and impressions keeps me going ♥
> 
> I'm using Twitter on a daily basis, so if you're ever interested in any updates, you know where to look!  
> [Check out my Profile to find me on Tumblr or Twitter!](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SophiaHoppia/profile)
> 
> [Or simply check out my other fanfictions!](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SophiaHoppia/works)


	16. 14.3. [Wednesday] - Safe

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last rather short chapter.

Gladio didn't remember the last time he had had pizza for breakfast, but he didn't mind. A pizza was something he could eat all the time. Unfortunately, even though Clarus had ordered so much, there was only one portion left for lunch. Reluctantly, they gave it to Iris since she didn't have a cafeteria at school.

When Gladio arrived at the Citadel, Domicella immediately caught him, pulling him into an unoccupied meeting room. Gladio was still half asleep and very confused until she suddenly said, "It's unbelievable what Ignis did yesterday!"

His eyes widened in shock as he was suddenly very awake. There was no way Domicella could know that Ignis has had phone sex with him yesterday. Yet then again, these maids mysteriously always knew _everything_.

"Huh?" The sound had somehow escaped his lips as his heart rate was speeding up, his hands feeling sweaty as he nervously awaited her next reaction.

"No one would have guessed he'd ever be courageous enough to go so far," Domicella said as she agitatedly walked up and down, her blond ponytail swaying left and right. Gladio hadn't thought it possible either that Ignis would ask him for advice about phone sex and that they'd go through with it - not just theoretically. Yet the main question was how Domicella could even know about all that.

"How do _you_ know-"  
" _Everyone_ talks about it," the maid exclaimed as she stopped in her tracks, throwing her hands over her head.  
"Everyone?!" Gladio repeated in surprise. He was used to people talking about him and his flings, but he had never intended to get Ignis involved in any of that.

"Well, of course! It never happened before. It is a historic event," Domicella said, hands on her hips as she stared at Gladio with green eyes, gaze as sharp as Ignis's. 

"I guess it is," Gladio confirmed hesitantly. Self-consciously, he rubbed the back of his neck. "But aren't you exaggerating a bit?"

" _Exaggerating_?" she repeated with an angry frown. "Maybe you knew that Ignis was capable of such a thing, but I sure didn't. Everyone else didn't!"

"It's not like I knew for sure either. I was surprised as well," Gladio admitted honestly. No need to deny anything when she knew it all anyway.

"Wait, so he hadn't informed you in advance?" Domicella asked in surprise.

"No, it came out of nowhere. At first, I didn't even realize what was going on," Gladio added sheepishly, scratching his cheek. That had been one awkward beginning of a phone sex call.

"Hm," she hummed, crossing her arms in thought. "And here I thought I could get some information out of you about who'd be next."

"Next?" Gladio asked with a frown. What was she going on about? Why should Ignis have phone sex with anyone else?

"Oh, come on," she replied sternly, hands back on her hips. "You can't expect me to believe that councilman Fraudator will be the only one."

"Councilman Fraudator? Iggy had phone-" Gladio broke off at just the right moment. Could it be that they were talking about two totally different things?

"Phone?" She asked, confused.

"Ah, he had promised to call me, so we could talk about councilman Fraudator on the phone, but he was too busy." He had made up the excuse off the cuff, and judging by Domicella's skeptical look, he hadn't done well.

"Are you saying that you only acted like you knew what I was talking about even though you didn't?"

She was sharp. And if Gladio admitted that he had thought about a different topic of conversation, she would pester him until he told her _what_ he'd had in mind. So lying was his best way out of here.

"Sorry. I'm still half asleep," Gladio sighed. "What about Iggy and councilman Fraudator?"

Domicella threw him a disapproving look but filled him in anyway. "Councilman Fraudator got demoted because he had faked data to make his project plan look more financially worthwhile. He probably knew he didn't stand a chance against Ignis's idea otherwise. What he hadn't expected, though, was for Ignis to call out his fraud during the meeting right in front of king Regis himself. Fraudator tried to talk himself out of it, saying it had only happened by mistake, but Ignis had proof that showed the truth." 

Gladio whistled in appreciation. "Iggy finally gets these old geezers what they deserve."

"Yes! He had already started a turmoil on Monday when he used their own words against them," Domicella added.

"Yeah." Gladio nodded. "Verecunda has told me."

Domicella clapped her hands together and got a dreamy expression on her face. "And this new hairstyle. It's as if he had declared war against the council members. I can't wait to see how he dominates all of them into submission!" She cleared her throat, a faint blush on her cheeks. "I mean, everyone keeps wondering what will happen today!"

As Gladio crossed his arms, his expression darkened. He couldn't care less about her little crush on Ignis's bad-ass side since he was worried otherwise right now. "How are the other councilmen taking it?"

"Not good, but you could guess that much," she replied with a sigh. "They keep whispering behind Ignis's back, calling him an impolite youngster who will learn his lesson soon."

"That sounds like a threat," Gladio couldn't help but speak his worry. That was precisely what he had feared. 

"Eh, I don't think so. They are just scared shit. And you know how it is: dogs that bark, don't bite." She winked at him. 

"I hope you are right," he mumbled, gripping his chin in thought. 

They parted ways again. Domicella hurried over to cook coffee for the morning meeting, whereas Gladio went to the outside training field to meet the recruits. He had taken out his phone to text Ignis, but he couldn't come up with the right words. He trusted Ignis to be wise enough to know on his own that he had to be careful. Furthermore, Gladio had no idea how to reach out to him after last night. His cheeks blushed as he remembered Ignis's sexy moans and whines.

He would just talk to him the next time he saw him. Fortunately, they would be training with Noct again this afternoon. Gladio had to admit that he was happy about this new arrangement every two weeks.

But before this long-awaited meeting, he had to get through this workday.

Training the recruits went better than yesterday. It might have helped that Gladio had ordered them to stay longer and jog some extra rounds. They had learned their lesson, showing their usual enthusiasm again. Although almost all of them kept on talking about Ignis and the council members at every possible second. Domicella had been right: Everyone knew about it. It was the talk of the Citadel.

During his lunch break, Gladio went to the cafeteria with Prompto and Novus. On their way, they picked up Noctis, who had attended a meeting. 

It took Gladio one look to notice how moody his prince was. It was unusual that Noctis accompanied them to the loud cafeteria since he usually preferred quiet places - especially if he wasn't feeling well.

Gladio was even more surprised when the prince got in line with them to pick up some cafeteria food. "Have you pissed off Iggy, or why didn't he make you any lunch?"  
"He's busy," Noct replied simply.  
Prompto's expression was torn. "It sucks that he's busy, but I'm happy we can eat together today!" 

"The more, the merrier. Right, Prom?" Novus asked, placing a hand on Prompto's shoulder. Noctis noticed the close contact but didn't say anything. His gaze, however, had turned sour.

As always, the cafeteria offered a few different menus, but they all decided on burgers and fries. It was a rarity that they even had those. Although Gladio had to admit that his diet wasn't healthy this week, he looked forward to the food.

Together they sat down at two sides of a table: Noctis next to Gladio since Novus had snatched away the seat next to their blond friend. 

"You alright, Noct?" Prompto finally asked after he had only worriedly stared at the prince ever since they had met him.   
"Just a headache," Noctis mumbled. Prompto's blue-violet eyes watered up just the tiniest bit as his expression turned even more worriedly. 

"Say, Prompto," Novus suddenly spoke up before the blond could continue his conversation with the prince, "have you watched that Chocobo documentary I've recommended to you?"  
"Huh?" Prompto blinked as it took him a moment to avert his gaze from one black-haired friend to the other. "Oh, yeah! It was so cute! I loved the part where they talked about Chocobos with differently colored feathers."

The two of them continued to talk about that documentary, and Noctis's gaze got darker with every sentence. 

Just as Gladio wanted to stir the topic of the conversation in a direction where _everyone_ could participate, his phone rang. With a frown, he took it out of his pocket. He was surprised to see that his dad was calling him and picked up the call.

"Yeah?"

"Walk the prince back to Regis's office after lunch. No questions. Make it look casually."

Gladio really hoped he had managed to keep up his poker face as he had heard these words. It was obvious that his father was worried about Noctis. The only question was: _Why?_ Honestly, Gladio hadn't intended to let Noctis walk back on his own anyway with how exhausted and moody he looked. Maybe Clarus was worried for the same reason. Although that would be no reason for secrecy. Yet, if there were a serious threat, Gladio -as Noct's shield- would know about it. Maybe he was overthinking this. When Noctis was in a bad mood, he preferred to be alone. That might be why Gladio should keep this secret: to avoid any discussions with his prince.

Anyway, no matter the reason, he would fulfill his duty and keep an eye on Noctis. It took him a moment to come up with a casual answer, but he managed.

"Ah shit, I totally forgot about that. I'll come by to pick it up soon."

"Very well," Clarus said before he immediately ended the call.

"Something wrong?" Prompto asked curiously.  
"Nope, nothing," Gladio replied.

Just as he had finished his sentence, Noctis spoke up. "Have you already played that game I've lent you, Prom? Road Fighter V?" 

"Yes," Novus replied before Prompto could even react. "We played it together yesterday evening. Right, Prom?"  
"Huh, oh, yeah," the blond confirmed to Gladio's surprise. He hadn't known that these two even spent their free time together.

"I haven't asked _you_ ," the prince said, not even hiding how pissed off he was as he looked at the recruit.

"Sorry, Noctis," Novus replied with a playful chuckle. He either felt no fear at all, or he was masking it very well. 

"Who allowed you to casually call me by my name?" the prince asked sternly, and Gladio already smelled trouble. Usually, Noctis gave a shit about his title and even preferred to be called by his name, but not if he disliked someone.

"Oh, my apologies, _your highness_ ," Novus said with an excessively sweet voice as he put an arm around Prompto. "I just thought a friend's friend is my friend as well."

The two men kept staring at each other while Prompto only looked at Gladio, desperately searching for help.

What had he gotten himself into here?  
"How was your weekend?" Gladio asked no one in particular since he just desperately tried to change the subject.

"Fine," Noctis replied dryly before he chewed on his fries.   
"I've spent Saturday at Noct's apartment playing video games," Prompto mentioned cheerfully. "And on Sunday, I've met Novus."  
"What?" the prince asked the same thing Gladio thought. They hadn't only met up yesterday but on the weekend as well? 

"Sunday was great," Novus confirmed. "We've watched that new movie _'Necopinus'_ at the cinema, walked through the park for a bit, and had dinner together."

_Ouch._  
That sounded like a date. Although Prompto probably wasn't even aware of it. 

Without a word, Noctis stood up.  
"Noct?" Prompto called out in surprise, but the prince didn't stop in his tracks, already walking away.  
"I'm busy."

"I've gotta go as well, sorry," Gladio said, grabbing their burgers before he ran after his prince. He was already feeling sorry for leaving his fries behind, but at least he had something to eat.

He waited a few moments before he dared to address his furious prince. "You should-"  
"Stay out of that."

Taking a deep breath, Gladio took a different approach. "Last week, you told Iggy that ignoring someone only makes it worse."  
"That's totally different," Noctis retorted with a huff.

"Not really. Talk to Prom," he suggested.  
"Stay out of that, and stop following me."  
"Sorry, gotta go in the same direction," Gladio replied vaguely. He had no idea if Noctis knew about whatever was going on, but he probably didn't. "And I'm still carrying your burger as well."  
"I'm not hungry," Noctis claimed.

Gladio sighed. He knew that Noct could be just as unapproachable when he was in a bad mood as Gladio himself. So he gave up for now and simply followed him.

Once they reached Regis's office, Noctis barged in without knocking and lay down on the couch that stood in the corner of the room. He turned around on his side, facing the backrest to hide his face from everyone.

Their fathers stared at them, obviously wondering why Noctis's mood was even worse than before and why Gladio just stood there, in the king's office, with two burgers in his hands.   
"I'll really eat your share if you don't want it, Noct," Gladio said once more, but his prince didn't even react. With a sigh, he shrugged. "Alright, your choice."

"Here's the report you've forgotten at home," Clarus suddenly said as he handed a small stack of papers to Gladio.

"Ah, thanks," Gladio replied, putting the papers between his elbow and his upper body since his hands were still full. "Anything else?"

"No," his father replied while his gaze told him to avoid further questions.

"Alright," Gladio said, feeling awkward as he stood there with his two burgers. "Then I'll leave. Don't forget our training session this afternoon, Noct."

There was no reply this time either, and Gladio could already guess that Noctis wouldn't show up later. While he didn't welcome it that the prince skipped practice two times in a row when they weren't meeting up often enough anyway, Gladio did look forward to another training session just with Ignis.

He went to the office he shared with his father, knowing that it was unoccupied right now. Sitting down at his desk, he had intended to read the report his father had handed him, but it was only a stack of blank papers. With a frown, Gladio put them away. Something was going on, and he didn't like the fact that he was kept in the dark about it.

Since he was at the office anyway, he finished some actual paperwork before it was finally time for his training session with Ignis.

Gladio changed into loose black jogging pants and a dark-blue muscle shirt. As always, he arrived first at the training hall. Stretching and warming up his body, he waited for the others. A warm, tingling feeling of anticipation spread through his body as he wondered which of his tight leggings Ignis would be wearing today. His cheeks lit up as he remembered their call yesterday. He wished to peel these tight pants from Ignis's body to touch the skin beneath it and coax these needy whines out of him again.

Shaking his head, he tried to stop these thoughts. Ignis would never let that happen at the training hall of the Citadel. Even if Noct would skip their practice session again. 

As he detected footsteps coming from the adjoining changing room, Gladio held his breath. His heart was beating faster as he heard the shuffling of clothes and once again got reminded of their phone call yesterday. 

_Shit._

He needed to get this under control. He couldn't already be half-hard before Ignis had even entered the room. Furthermore, judging by the footsteps, it hadn't sounded as if he were alone.

Trying to play down his nerves and his unstopping desire, Gladio jogged from one side of the room to the other and back to warm up - even though he was feeling more than hot already.

When Ignis finally entered the training hall, Gladio blinked at him in surprise. There were no tight leggings. Instead, Ignis was wearing a _loose_ black tracksuit with white stripes, the jacket zipped up to the top until right beneath his chin. 

It was a weird outfit on the usually stylish advisor, but the dark circles under his eyes caught Gladio's attention even more. "Please tell me you haven't pulled an all-nighter."  
"I won't say it then," Ignis replied as he averted his gaze. 

Gladio sighed. "Where's Noct?"   
"He won't come today," Ignis explained as he sat down on the floor, his back towards Gladio. Leaning forward, he stretched his upper body.

"Weird." Gladio crossed his arms. "I thought I had heard two people entering the changing room."  
"No, I have come on my own," Ignis said quickly. "Noct has a migraine. I have to admit that I am a bit worried about him."

"Hm," Gladio hummed in thought. Although Noctis hadn't looked well earlier, Gladio wondered if it had something to do with Novus and Prompto as well. "Lunch break didn't go so well."

"I know," Ignis replied, sighing as he stopped stretching already but kept sitting. "He has sent me some short text messages."

When the advisor neither moved nor said anything, Gladio walked closer with a frown. "Need some help stretching?" 

"Oh," Ignis looked up in surprise as if he hadn't noticed that he had stopped moving. He leaned forward again. "If you don't mind."

"Not at all," Gladio replied truthfully. Kneeling down behind the advisor, he carefully placed a hand on his back. Ignis flinched at the contact, turning his head to look at Gladio, who quickly pulled his hand back. "Sorry."

"No, my apologies, it's alright," Ignis replied, his cheeks blushing. "I had just thought about-" Biting his bottom lip, he broke off, averting his gaze again as he got back to stretching.

Sharply, Gladio took in some air. So he wasn't the only one reminiscing about their shared conversation yesterday. And Saturday. Licking his lips, Gladio remembered their kisses.

With a deep breath, he put his hand on Ignis's back once more. The other tensed for a moment but relaxed again soon. Carefully, Gladio applied some pressure, helping him to stretch further.

The silence between them felt weird and tense. Or maybe it was just Gladio's fault because every rustling of clothes and every small intake of breath reminded him about last night. His thoughts were already drifting off again. What he wouldn't give to let his hand travel further down Ignis's back. First, he would sneak beneath his track jacket. Teasingly, he would let the tips of his fingers graze over the pale skin of Ignis's back. Soon, he would lose his patience and let his hands travel further down to the globes of this perfectly formed ass. The ass that could easily take two fingers at once. At least two of Ignis's beautiful slim fingers. Gladio's fingers were thicker than that. Would Ignis enjoy the additional stretch? Since one finger hadn't been enough, Gladio had hoped that Ignis liked to be filled by _more_. 

"It's unusual for you to be so quiet," Ignis whispered after a while.  
Gladio cleared his throat, desperately trying to shake off these thoughts. But he just couldn't. "Ah, sorry. My thoughts keep going back to yesterday evening when we-"  
"Please don't talk about that now!" Ignis hissed so sharply that Gladio blinked in surprise. He hadn't expected such a strong reaction.

"Are you embarrassed?" he asked, unable to hold back the teasing nuance of his voice.

"Can we talk about something else?"  
Gladio frowned. Why did it feel like Ignis was taking a step back again?   
"On Saturday, you've wanted to ask something important," Gladio had once again spoken before he had thought that through. It might be another topic of conversation, but probably not the right one either.  
"My apologies," Ignis replied. "I can't talk about it right now."

Another evasive answer. Without a word, Gladio pulled his hand away from Ignis's back. He didn't want to deal with this. "Shall we start training?"

"Yes," Ignis answered, although he sounded a bit sad. Or maybe Gladio had only imagined that.

Taking a few steps back, he summoned his shield. Adjusting his stance, he readied himself for an incoming attack. Slowly, Ignis got up as well, materializing his training polearm. They stared at each other, both waiting for the other to start the offensive. After Gladio licked his lips, he noticed Ignis blushing and looking away. 

Somehow that made him blush, too. Where the hell was this tension coming from? And if Ignis was checking him out as well: Why was he so against talking about _anything_ right now? Gladio stared at Ignis. Even though he was wearing a loose tracksuit, his beauty wasn't hidden. Sure, he couldn't see the outlines of his strong calves, his thick thighs, and his round ass. But just _knowing_ that these things were hidden beneath these pants, like a present waiting to be unwrapped, turned Gladio on again. Or maybe Gladio just had the hots for Ignis no matter what he wore. 

Taking a deep breath, he tried to focus on training. He launched forward to attack with his shield. Even though Ignis held up his weapon to block, the advisor immediately got pushed back, falling down on his ass.

Astonished, Gladio looked down at him. "I didn't even use _that_ much force. Usually, you can block or avoid attacks like that."   
"My apologies," Ignis said as he tried to stand up but gave up halfway through it, flopping back down again with a sigh.

"You are even more exhausted than you look like," Gladio finally deduced.  
"I'm afraid that is correct. My apologies."  
"Why did you even come to training then?" Gladio asked, and Ignis suddenly looked like a kicked puppy.   
"Because I had longed to see you," he whispered, and Gladio felt his heart clenching. How cute was that?

With a sigh, Gladio sat down. He leaned against one of the benches and had his legs sprawled out as he grabbed Ignis's shoulder. "Come here."  
"Huh?" Ignis only let out a confused sound as Gladio pulled him towards him to lay down with his head resting on his lap. Softly, Gladio caressed Ignis's head with his right hand, careful not to ruin his styled-up hair. He let his left hand rest on Ignis's shoulder.

At first, Ignis was tense, but soon he relaxed into the touch. They both didn't look at each other. It was nice to simply feel the warmth and presence of the other man. Only now, when they were so close again, Gladio realized that he hadn't smelled Ignis's usual scent today. Had the other been so busy and exhausted that he had forgotten to apply his perfume?

"Why have you stayed up all night?" Gladio asked softly.

"I didn't feel safe enough to sleep."  
"Not safe enough?" Gladio repeated more agitated, stopping the movements of his right hand. Was there a problem with the remaining council members after all? Was that why Ignis couldn't sleep, and Noct needed to be watched?

"My apologies," Ignis looked up, "I meant, it didn't feel safe enough to waste so much time sleeping while there was so much to do."  
Relieved that it was just that, Gladio relaxed again. He really was overthinking that. As soon as he had the chance, he should ask his dad about some detailed reasons behind their short phone call earlier. "You need to take a break sometimes."  
"I did," Ignis replied, averting his gaze again. "I wasn't working all the time. Additionally, I have spent some time writing."

"You need to take a break from taking a break," Gladio said with a snort.  
"I know." A sigh left the advisor's lips, and Gladio noticed that he had trouble keeping his eyes open. "There's just so much to do this week."  
"Anything I can help with? If it isn't super complicated paperwork, I can-"  
"It's all confidential," Ignis interrupted him before Gladio could even offer his help.

"Okay." His reply was short and sharp. By now, he had accepted that Ignis wasn't in the mood to talk, probably because he was overworked and exhausted. 

As if he could read his thoughts, Ignis suddenly grabbed Gladio's left hand, reassuringly stroking his thumb over it. It was a small gesture, but Gladio appreciated it. 

Softly, he smiled down at the beautiful man resting his head on his lap. "Get some rest."

"Hm?" Ignis blinked at him in surprise.  
"Just close your eyes for a bit," Gladio suggested, intertwining their fingers. Ignis's hand felt so soft and warm.  
"If you insist, I will take you up on that offer," Ignis replied, closing his eyes. 

Carefully, Gladio stroked through soft hair again. It didn't take long for Ignis's facial features to relax, his breathing getting deep. He hadn't expected that the other would agree to his offer, much less fall asleep. But that only showed how exhausted the advisor really was. 

Fondly, Gladio studied his sleeping face. Smooth pale skin, filigree eyebrows, a sharp nose, thin rosy lips. Biting back a moan, Gladio licked his own lips. Kissing Ignis had felt so good on Saturday. Four times their lips had met. It had been shy and sweet, as innocent as kisses could be. But it had left Gladio hoping for more. 

And even if Ignis was a bit tense and evasive today, Gladio held it in high regard that he had accepted his offer to rest and even fell asleep immediately. After all, that was a sign of unshakable trust. Ignis was feeling safe around him.

It was such a quiet and serene situation that Gladio almost felt bad for his dirty thoughts earlier. Yet it wasn't his fault that he desired Ignis with every fiber of his being.

Fondly, he studied Ignis's peaceful expression. At some point, Gladio felt himself almost nodding off as well, but he slowly opened his eyes again. It would only cause trouble for Ignis if they both overslept. Yet when Gladio studied this beautiful sleeping face, he didn't even want to wake the other up again.

When the time of their training session had passed, however, he squeezed Ignis's hand. "Iggy?"   
"Hm?" It had been a short mumbled reply, but Ignis's eyes stayed closed.  
"Iggy, you've gotta wake up."

Slowly, beautiful green eyes blinked open, looking left and right to take in his environment. " _Bloody hell_ ," the advisor uttered in realization. "Have I fallen asleep?"  
Gladio snorted. "Didn't even take you a full minute to doze off."  
"My apologies." Drowsily, Ignis sat back up. Taking off his glasses, he rubbed his tired eyes. "That wasn't an efficient training session for you."  
"It's alright. I got to see your sleeping face. That is worth even more," Gladio replied with a wink, making the other blush.

"I've gotta go back to work," the advisor mentioned.  
"I knew you would say that." With a sigh, Gladio stood up. "I've gotta go home now, so Iris isn't alone for too long."

"Is Jared not with her today?" Ignis asked as they both walked over to the changing room.  
"Ah, no, he's sick since Monday," Gladio replied, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck as he remembered his disastrous dinner two days ago. 

With a frown, Ignis addressed exactly that topic. "What about your meals?"  
"Don't ask." For once, it was Gladio who gave nothing but an evasive answer. For a moment, it looked as if Ignis wanted to offer cooking for them, but he held back. No matter how much Gladio loved Ignis's food, he wouldn't have accepted it anyway this week. When Ignis even skipped cooking meals for their prince, he must be seriously busy. And yet, he had still taken his time to indulge in that phone call with Gladio yesterday. A cozy warmth filled his heart at that thought.

When he entered the changing room, he was surprised to see his father walking towards them. 

"Whoa, Dad. I didn't even hear you coming in."

Although Gladio had expected a reprimand about him not being attentive enough to his environment, it never came. Clarus simply held up a stack of papers as he looked at Ignis. "Regis has sent me to discuss these with you."  
"Very well. I'll change quickly, and then we can head over to my office."  
"Alright, I'll wait," Clarus replied, turning around to give the other some privacy. 

Reluctantly, Gladio did the same. Although it would be so easy to sneak a peek at Ignis's half-naked body, he held back. For a moment, Gladio pondered to take a shower, but since they hadn't worked up a sweat, he decided against it. He could still shower at home tonight, once Iris was asleep. 

Apparently, Ignis changed his clothes faster than Gladio did. The advisor was already leaving the room together with Clarus as Gladio put on his shirt.

Well, that had been anticlimactic. With a sigh, Gladio put his training clothes into his bag and went home.

As soon as he opened the front door, his sister came running towards him, embracing him in a hug. "Welcome home! What's for dinner, Gladdy? I'm hungry."

With a sigh, he patted her head. Right, _dinner_. He had completely forgotten about that. Not in the mood to mess that up again, he decided to order some takeout. Since they had had pizza yesterday, they went with pasta -properly boiled and with unburnt sauce- today.

As they waited for their meals to arrive, Iris showed Gladio the book she had been reading today. There were some words she had trouble with. Although he wasn't a literature teacher, he did his best to explain them to her by dividing them into syllables. Once again, he was impressed by how well she could read despite her young age.

As the doorbell rang and the delivery service brought their food, they sat down at the dining table. While the pasta didn't taste as good as anything Jared or Ignis cooked, it was still better by miles than Gladio's failure on Monday. 

They had just finished eating when Gladio's phone rang. Noticing that it was his father, he quickly picked up.

"Yeah?"  
"I'll spend the night at Regis's home tonight," his father explained. "Also, Jared called. He is still feeling sick and won't be back before Saturday."

Gladio couldn't hold back a sigh. Two more days without home-cooked meals.

"I'll get home late tomorrow," Clarus continued. "I know you are usually not around on Thursday evening, but would you mind staying home to give Iris some company?"

"Sure, it can't be helped."

"You know I won't mind if you just invite Nyx over instead," his father prompted softly, and Gladio smiled.

"That's a good idea, I'll ask him."  
"Alright. Good night, son."  
"Ah, wait. About our last call-"  
"Don't mention it," Clarus interrupted him and hung up the call. 

With a frown, Gladio stared at his phone. Why was he making such a secret about it? Before he could think about it any further, Iris spoke up. "Was that dad? What did he say?"  
"He won't be home today, and it might get late tomorrow. Also, Jared is still sick."

There was disappointment on her face. "Oh. Alright."  
"Don't worry, I'll stay at home tomorrow evening," he mentioned with an encouraging smile.  
"You don't have to," she replied quietly, although her lonely face said otherwise.  
"Nah, it's okay. If it's alright with you, I'll ask my friend Nyx to visit us."

For a moment, she was pondering until, suddenly, her eyes flashed up. "Call him!"  
Gladio frowned at this reaction. He couldn't shake the feeling that she was planning something. 

Browsing through his contact list, he searched for Nyx's number before he hit the call button.

"Yeah?"   
While his best friend had said exactly the same as Gladio had when he had picked up his father's call right now, he immediately noticed that the other lacked his usual enthusiasm.

"Are you in a bad mood?"  
"Ah, sorry, a bit. Crowe just canceled on me tonight out of the blue, but usually, she doesn't do it without any good reason."

Taking a deep breath, Gladio felt bad for having to change their plans tomorrow as well. "Sorry to break it to you, but my dad has to work late tomorrow, and Jared is still sick. So I was wondering if you'd like to come over to visit Iris-"

Suddenly, his sister _walked_ over the dining table to take his phone out of his hands.  
"Can you cook better than my brother?!"

"Iris, what the-" He stood up and took his phone back to hear Nyx laughing. Gladio apologized anyway. "Sorry about that."

"No, no. It's alright," Nyx chuckled. "Tell her I'll cook for you."  
"You really don't have to, man."  
"I will. As if I could ever leave a lady hanging." Gladio couldn't see him, but he knew Nyx was winking before he added, "If you are alright with rice and vegetables again. That's at least one of the recipes I don't mess up."

"That sounds like heaven. I'll owe you one," Gladio said while he sternly looked at his sister. With his hand, he indicated to her to get down from the table _at once_. With a pout, she complied, jumping down to the floor.

"Not for that, eagle boy. Just make sure to have some rice and vegetables at home," Nyx instructed.  
"I will. See ya tomorrow."  
"Bye. And greet that sweet little sister of yours." 

Gladio rolled his eyes at that last part. 

"Will he cook for us?" Iris asked with big, sparkling eyes.  
"Yes, you little phone thief."  
  
She only chuckled and ran around the dining table. "You are just too slow to keep up with me!"

Never one to back down from a challenge, Gladio caught up to her after only a few steps. Picking her up, he threw her down on the couch and tickled her feet. Screaming and laughing, she kicked at him. It evolved into a tickle fight, and Gladio had to admit that she had gotten stronger and swifter. At some point, she still gave up, though, and Gladio was content with his victory.

As he finally lay in bed this night after an exhausting evening with the never-ending bundle of energy that was his sister, Gladio thought about this afternoon. While Ignis hadn't been very talkative today, his sleeping face had been indescribably cute. Closing his eyes, Gladio tried to imagine it again. Would Ignis look just as peaceful after sex? 

A groan left him as he felt his dick stirring. He thought he would stop being needy after their phone sex yesterday, but that wasn't the case. Gladio wanted to hear these delicious moans again. As he remembered how desperately Ignis had called out his name, Gladio slipped his hand beneath his pants.

With his eyes closed, he rubbed one off while he imagined Ignis lying on his bed, moaning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you've enjoyed reading! Feel free to drop a comment, reading your thoughts and impressions keeps me going ♥
> 
> I'm using Twitter on a daily basis, so if you're ever interested in any updates, you know where to look!  
> [Check out my Profile to find me on Tumblr or Twitter!](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SophiaHoppia/profile)
> 
> [Or simply check out my other fanfictions!](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SophiaHoppia/works)


	17. 14.4. [Thursday] - What really happened

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter (and the previous one) would have been so much more interesting from Iggy's point of view XD'

On Thursday morning, Gladio suddenly sat upright in his bed as he noticed that this annoying sound coming from his right side wasn't his usual alarm but an incoming call.

Grabbing his phone from the nightstand, he squinted his eyes back shut after taking a quick look at the bright display.  
"Dad?" he asked as he picked up the call.  
"Get your ass to the prince's apartment right now, and stay there with him until you are directly told otherwise by Cor, Regis, or me." Clarus's instructions had been clear, and Gladio felt his heart rate speeding up in a slight panic. What the hell was going on?

"Did something happen?" he asked as he already tumbled out of bed, running to his wardrobe.   
"These are just precautions so that nothing _will_ happen." His father's voice was strict yet calm. Gladio was pretty sure that it would have sounded more urgent in case of an immediate emergency. Yet then again, his father was a well-trained soldier who, despite his temper, could keep his cool during a crisis. 

Still, Gladio couldn't help but worry while he put on his pants. If Noct might be in danger, the people close to him could be as well - like his personal advisor that had evoked the wrath of the councilmen this week. "What about Ig-"  
Clarus cut him off immediately. "The less you know, the safer you are. Follow my order and protect the prince, Gladiolus. Everything else is taken care of."

"Yes, sir," he replied reluctantly. For a second, he took his phone away from his ear to put on his shirt. As he already walked out of his room, he suddenly remembered that Jared was still sick. "What about taking Iris to school?"  
His father sighed. "The mother of a classmate will pick her up. As I've said: I have taken care of everything. _Everyone_ you know will be safe, trust me, and do your job."  
"I'm on my way," he said as he grabbed his car keys, and his father ended their call. 

During the ride, Gladio cursed every red light he had to stop at. While he still had no idea what was going on, he was getting nervous. If something happened to Noct because he had been too slow, he would forever regret it.

As he finally arrived, Gladio parked in the underground parking of the apartment complex. At once, he jumped out of the car. If the elevator were on his floor, using it would be the fastest way up. However, since he rarely had such luck and wouldn't have had the patience to wait for it either, he directly headed to the stairs. Taking two steps at once, he ran upstairs until he reached the highest floor.

Out of breath, he pulled out his emergency keys and unlocked the front door. As soon as he had entered the prince's apartment, Noctis came into the entrance hall, a blanket wrapped around him.

"What's going on?" the prince wanted to know, looking far too awake for this early hour.  
"Are you alright?" Gladio uttered as a counterquestion, grabbing the prince's upper arms as he checked him for any signs of injury or discomfort.  
"I'm fine, Gladio," Noctis reassured him, and Gladio finally let out a relieved sigh. After a quick hug, he let go of his charge. "I have no idea what's going on. My dad just told me to get here _immediately_."

Noctis frowned. "Why don't they tell us what's going on?"  
"No idea," Gladio said with a shrug as he locked the door from the inside and took off his shoes. Together they walked to the living room. "How much do you know?"  
Lazily, the prince lay down on the couch, covering himself with a second blanket. "Iggy called me this morning." He yawned. "He told me to stay at home and that you would come over soon. Directly after the call, he texted me from his private phone, saying we should only contact him in case of an emergency."

Ignis had texted Noctis, right after calling him? Why hadn't he just said everything on the phone? It was unusual for the advisor to be forgetful, but maybe he was still overworked and tired. Actually, Gladio had intended to message him as soon as he had made sure that Noctis was safe. But after what the prince had told him right now, he put down his phone. 

"I guess I shouldn't text him now?"  
"Don't," Noctis replied shortly yet strictly.  
Slumping his shoulders, Gladio gave in. Even though he was relieved that his prince was alright, he had to stick to the protocol for now. "Guess it's just you and me now."  
"Wonderful," Noctis mentioned ironically.

Ignoring the little dig at him, Gladio looked at the kitchen. "Did you have breakfast yet?"  
"I didn't even have enough _sleep_. What makes you think I had food?"  
"Anything we can eat without destroying the kitchen?"  
Grumpily, Noctis sat up again. Wrapped into two blankets, he looked like a cocoon.  
"There are milk and cereals," the prince replied with a nod towards the kitchen.

Although that gave Gladio no hint as to _where_ exactly Noctis stored his cereals, he walked over to the kitchen anyway. After opening two cabinets, he had found what he had searched. Next, he took the milk out of the fridge. Together with two bowls and spoons, he carried it all towards the coffee table. Sitting down on the couch, Gladio filled their bowls.

"Iggy always tells me to have breakfast at the dining table," Noctis mumbled with a little snort.  
"Well, feel free to move there," Gladio replied, putting his feet on the coffee table, bowl and spoon in hand as he leaned back against the soft backrest of the couch. "I'll stay here where it's more comfortable."  
Sitting cross-legged next to him, Noctis peeled his arms free from his blanket cocoon to grab his breakfast as well. "Let's just keep it secret from him."

"Just be careful not to spill anything," Gladio mentioned before a grin appeared on his face. "Although I would love to witness you explaining to Iggy how _white stains_ got on your couch."  
The prince only rolled his eyes and started to eat. 

As they ate in silence, Gladio studied Noctis's face out of the corner of his eye. The other hadn't looked well yesterday and today wasn't much better. He was wondering if there was more to it. After all, Ignis had already expressed his worries about their charge last weekend.

"You don't look so well lately," he mentioned, offering the other an opportunity to talk.  
"I'm just lacking sleep," the prince replied. While it was the truth that Noctis looked exhausted and had never managed to function without enough rest, Gladio knew there was more to it.  
"What's keeping you up?"  
"Thoughts."  
He had to hold back a groan. Noctis could be just as evasive as Ignis when they talked about this stuff.  
"Thoughts about what?"  
"Don't wanna tell," the prince mumbled, putting his bowl back on the coffee table, although it wasn't empty yet.

"Have you talked to Prompto since yesterday noon?"  
"Don't wanna tell," Noctis repeated. That was as good as a no.

Knowing when to give up, Gladio let his gaze travel around the room until his eyes fell on the gaming consoles.  
"Any new videogames we could play?"

Noctis blinked at him in surprise. "You're not pushing me to talk?"  
"Noct." Gladio turned to sit sideways on the couch, looking at the younger man. "I won't _force_ you to spill the beans. And I know that I tend to tease you sometimes, but I can be serious as well. You can always talk to me - about anything. I won't make fun of you."

As always, the prince had trouble reacting to such a sincere statement. Dropping his blankets, he stood up from the couch and walked over to his stack of games. "Thanks," he mumbled, and before Gladio could reply, he immediately added, "I've got a new game called _Prodigium_."

Well, obviously, the younger one didn't want to talk about any problems now. By offering help, Gladio had done what he could. The rest was up to Noctis. "What's it about?"

"Basically, you catch and train different creatures."  
It didn't sound that innovative, but Gladio was okay with anything to pass the time while they were stuck here. "Alright, let's give it a try."

To his surprise, the game had a more compelling gameplay than he had expected. And while Gladio continued to be on alert, watching out for any danger approaching from outside, they still got so engrossed that they forgot the time, snacking chips and cookies all day instead of having decent lunch. 

In the afternoon, his father called him. As if nothing had happened, he told him that everything had been taken care of and that he should go home to his sister. Gladio and Noctis were confused about why they still didn't get more detailed information, but Gladio knew better than to pester his dad while he was still at work.

Since whatever had been going on got resolved now, Gladio grasped the opportunity to text Ignis.

Gladio:  
 _I hope you've gotten some sleep last night and aren't too busy today!_

He was a bit disappointed about the lack of a reply, but Ignis had already warned him about his hectic week on Monday.

At home, Gladio picked up Iris, and they immediately went grocery shopping. If Nyx was kind enough to cook dinner for them, getting all the ingredients in due time was the least Gladio could do to be a good host.

Since Nyx hadn't given him any details, he just bought everything he could remember from their meal last week: rice, soy sauce, carrots, and broccoli. When his sister made a face at his choice, complaining that green vegetables always tasted bitter, he simply told her that they needed healthy food - especially after all the fast food this week. 

Since they were more than two people for dinner this time, Gladio additionally picked up a cauliflower. At least, Iris couldn't fuss about the color of that one.

Their timing couldn't have been better because just as they arrived back home with their grocery bags, Nyx showed up. 

"Yo," Gladio greeted with a smile before he realized that he had to introduce these two to each other. Considering how long they'd been friends, it was a bit weird that his sister had never met his best friend before, but usually, Gladio was the one visiting Nyx and not the other way around. The few times his friend had visited him had always been late at night when Iris had already been sleeping. 

"Nyx, this is Iris, my little sister. Iris, this is Nyx, my best friend."   
"Aw, your _best_ friend? You charmer," Nyx replied with a wink before he crouched down to place a kiss on Iris's hand. "It's lovely to finally meet you, young lady."  
She chuckled as her cheeks blushed. "I like you! You can stay!"

Together, they entered the house, dropped off their shoes, and went to the kitchen. Gladio had offered Nyx some of the guest slippers, but as expected, the other had brushed off the proposal. 

"Make yourself at home," Gladio said as they entered the kitchen, putting the grocery bags on their small table.   
"I want to help with the cooking!" Iris exclaimed, excited as always.  
When Gladio told her to wash her hands first, she pouted but complied as she witnessed the men washing their hands as well. 

Opening the kitchen drawers, Gladio searched for a pot and a wok. Nyx laughed at him when he realized that Gladio had no idea if they even owned a wok. The cooking usually got done by Jared, so how should Gladio know? Fortunately, they made a find as they opened the fourth kitchen cabinet. 

While Nyx had tasked Iris with washing the carrots, he asked Gladio to cook the rice. Before a disaster could happen, Gladio honestly admitted that he had no idea what he was doing. "How much water do I even need? Should I just fill half of the pot with it?"  
His best friend gave him an astonished look. Apparently, he hadn't known just how bad Gladio's cooking skills were.  
"It's easy to measure out: For one cup of rice, you take two cups of water." When Nyx explained it like that, it really did sound easy.

Following the instructions, Gladio filled the pot with four cups of rice and eight cups of water. It might be a bit too much, but he wouldn't mind having some leftovers for tomorrow's lunch. 

"I have washed the vegetables," Iris announced happily. "What should I do next?"  
Putting a hand to Gladio's hip, Nyx indicated him to move away from the stove. "Next, we will cut them while you watch our pot of rice."  
"That sounds boring." She pouted. "I wanna cut stuff as well!"   
Just as Gladio wanted to explain to her that big knives were still a bit too dangerous for her, Nyx had already picked up the oven mittens. Putting them over Iris's little hands, he handed her a wooden spoon. "It's an important task to watch over the rice. You have to stir it sometimes, so it doesn't get burnt. Because then it wouldn't be tasty."

"Like half-crunchy noodles and burnt tomato sauce?" She asked, stepping down from her stool and pulling it in front of the stove instead.  
"Yeah, like that," Nyx confirmed, a frown on his face at that particular example. Gladio just hoped he wouldn't deduce that she was talking about his mishap from Monday. "And you have to turn down the heat once it starts cooking so that it won't overcook. It takes a lot of concentration, and you have to be careful not to touch the hot pot directly. Think you are up to this dangerous but important task?"  
"An Amicitia never backs down from a challenge!" She put her oven mitten clad hands on her tiny hips, holding her chin up proudly.  
"Perfect," Nyx replied with a smile before he joined Gladio's side. 

By now, Gladio had taken out two cutting boards and knives. Afraid to do anything wrong, however, he had waited for instructions.   
"Just cut the carrots into slices," Nyx instructed while he started chopping the broccoli.  
"You're surprisingly good with kids," Gladio mentioned as he focused all his concentration on cutting the carrots into _evenly sized_ slices.

A somehow fond yet melancholic smile found its way to Nyx's face. "You haven't forgotten that I grew up with my little sister, have you?"  
Gladio stopped his task. How could he ever forget? Nyx's sister had been killed when Niflheim had attacked Galahd. That was right before Nyx had been saved by king Regis and been brought to Insomnia, where he started his Kingsglaive training. "Sorry. You just don't talk about her often, so I never know if it's alright to bring it up."  
"It's okay. It's been years," Nyx said, but Gladio knew him well enough to notice the hint of sadness in his voice. He couldn't even dare to imagine what it would feel like to lose his little sister. "Don't give me that pitiful look, eagle boy. These carrots need to be cut. Chop, chop!"  
"Alright," Gladio gave in and continued his task.

With a smile, Nyx turned around to look at Iris. "How's the situation at the stove, little birdie? I need a report."  
"No signs of overcooking yet, sir," Iris replied playfully, and Nyx laughed. 

Together, they managed to cook a decent meal. Gladio had to admit that while his cooking skills still sucked, it had been fun nonetheless. 

As they sat together at the dining table, Nyx and Iris were happily talking with each other. Witnessing that, Gladio realized that he should invite Nyx over more often. Although they couldn't talk about all the juicy stuff with his little sister present, they were still having a good time. 

"Can I decorate your hair?" Iris asked once they had finished eating.   
Gladio sighed, "Iris, that's-"  
"I'm not asking _you_! You keep saying no anyway," his sister replied, crossing her arms and blowing up her cheeks as she pouted.  
"Oh?" Nyx threw a smug grin towards him. "Maybe he doesn't like it if someone pulls on his hair."   
Gladio glared at his best friend. It wasn't easy to retort to this teasing with Iris around.  
"I don't pull! I'm just decorating it," Iris explained.  
"Alright, you can do my hair," Nyx gave in, and the little girl already jumped up from her seat to run upstairs and fetch her hair accessories.

"Don't blame me if she hurts you," Gladio mentioned as a warning.  
"Aw, come on. It can't be that bad," Nyx said as they got up to at least put the dirty dishes into the kitchen sink. Washing them up could wait.   
"You have no idea." With a shudder, Gladio remembered the last times Iris had done his hair. Although he had to concede that she had gotten a bit more careful, she had always pulled on it - no matter if she admitted it or not.

"By the way," Nyx spoke up as they walked back to the living room, sitting down on the soft couch. "Are you looking forward to the weekend, eagle boy?"   
"Haven't planned anything if that's what you're asking."   
"Seriously?" The grin that had been on the glaive's face dropped at once.  
"Huh?" Gladio frowned, not sure what this was about.  
"Tsk, nothing," Nyx replied as he took out his phone, typing a message to someone.   
"Nyx, what-"   
"Hush. Just keep your weekend free until the right person asks you." There was a wink on his face, but before Gladio could ask about any more details, his little sister came rushing back.

"I'm ready, Nyx!"  
"Alright. How do you want me, little birdie?" Nyx asked, and Gladio told himself that this _hadn't_ sounded suggestive. He was just so used to his best friend's flirty nature that his brain turned everything Nyx said into something rather ambiguous.

"Sit in front of the couch," she instructed, and Gladio sighed.  
"You can't tell a guest to sit on the floor."  
With a snort, Nyx slipped down. "There's a soft carpet on the ground. I can't complain."  
"See?" Iris stuck out her tongue towards her brother.   
Why was it that their guests always spoiled his little sister? Although he couldn't deny that he coddled her just as much, even if they were fighting almost every day.

"Who made your braids?" Iris asked, referring to the little braids Nyx always wore on the sides of his head.  
"I did."  
"Amazing!" she exclaimed in awe. "Mine never get that evenly."  
"Well, practice makes perfect. Feel free to add some more."  
"How should I do it?" Excitedly, she began brushing Nyx's hair.  
Closing his eyes as if he were actually enjoying this, he explained, "Just make three strands of hair of the same size, and crisscross the left and right one over the middle one. And don't hold it too loosely." 

Fondly, Gladio watched the display next to him. Iris had stuck out her tongue in concentration while her tiny hands held three even parts of Nyx's hair. His expression was relaxed as he leaned back against the couch.

"How was your day, eagle boy?" Nyx asked conversationally.  
Leaning against the backrest, Gladio looked up in thought. "A bit weird. I was on standby at Noct's apartment the whole day, although we both had no idea why."

"Then you haven't heard what happened at the Citadel either?" the glaive asked, giving him a sideglance.   
"No," Gladio leaned forward in interest, resting his underarms on his thighs. "What happened?"  
"I don't know many details either," Nyx admitted. "The maids just heard some rumors that councilman Iniustus has embezzled money, but no one has seen him after today's first council meeting."

Crossing his arms, Gladio leaned back again. "That's the guy that had gotten on Iggy's nerves some weeks ago."  
Nyx snorted. "Is there _any_ councilmember that _hasn't_ done that?"  
"Probably not. But Iniustus is one of the worst, I think." Gladio remembered just too well how bad Ignis's mood had been that Friday night. He had even been cursing.

His little sister suddenly butted in on their conversation. "Do you always talk about _work_? That's boring."  
"No," Nyx denied at once, "we also talk about stories we've read."  
"I love books!" Iris blurted out with a smile. In her enthusiasm, she had pulled on Nyx's hair, but the glaive didn't complain.   
"What are you reading, little birdie?"   
Gladio smiled at the fond nickname that Nyx had settled on. Iris hadn't even reacted to it now or earlier, but she immediately knew he was addressing her.

"I have a book about flowerbeds! I'm trying to plant some flowers in the garden," Iris narrated as she finished the first braid, securing it with a pink hair tie.  
"That sounds complicated."  
"It is, but I can do it," she replied with a proud huff. "I also have some picture books and comics. And a book about fucking! It explains how babies are made!"

Nyx burst out laughing while Gladio buried his face in his hands.  
"She _is_ your sister, no doubt."  
"Huh?" Iris looked at them in confusion, not knowing what Nyx was hinting at. Gladio just ruffled her hair until she leaned away with a pout. "Don't treat me like a child! I know everything about fucking and making babies, so I'm a grown-up!"

That was an interesting kind of logic she had.

"Do you know how to _avoid_ getting babies as well?" Nyx asked, being in his element no matter how old his dialogue partner was.  
"With condoms!"  
"That's right. Never forget that."  
"I won't," she confirmed as she finished her second braid with a yellow hair tie this time. She was getting faster.

Gladio smiled. He was glad that his best friend and his sister got along so well. 

Nyx continued to ask Iris about her friends and school. She happily answered all of his questions while she continued to braid his hair, putting an assemblage of different colored hair ties into it.

At some point, they heard the front door opening. Iris immediately jumped up from the couch, running to the entrance hall. "Welcome home, daddy!"  
"Hello, Iris," Clarus replied, sounding a bit out of breath as she had tackled him into a hug.

"Iggy!" his sister suddenly called out, and Gladio was all ears.  
"Good evening, Iris. My apologies for coming by unannounced."

His heart was speeding up as he heard that lovely voice. Nyx playfully elbowed him and wiggled his eyebrows, whispering, "Did you know he would come by?"  
"No," Gladio replied truthfully. "You?"  
"No."

As Iris and the other two entered the living room, Nyx stood up.  
"Good evening, sir," he greeted formally with a slight bow.  
"Relax, we are not at work," his father replied with a smile. "Just Clarus is fine."  
"Are you sure?"  
"Of course." As Clarus noticed the colorful hair ties, he smiled fondly. "Thanks for looking after my children."

Gladio hadn't missed the plural. "Hey! You make it sound as if _I_ needed a baby-sitter."  
"Sometimes you still do," Nyx replied playfully.  
"Agreed," Clarus stated, and they both laughed when Gladio grumbled. While he was happy that these two were getting along, he had the distinct feeling that they might pair up against him.

With sparkling eyes, Iris pulled on Ignis's sleeve. "Iggy, Iggy! Are we going to bake Triple Chocolate Chips Cookies tonight?"  
"Iris," Clarus called out sternly, "keep it down a bit. Ignis is tired."  
"We will do it some other time, Iris." Even Ignis's voice sounded exhausted. "I promise."

"Sit down and make yourself at home, Ignis," Clarus offered, throwing a harsh gaze at his daughter as she held onto Ignis's wrist, trying to pull him towards the kitchen. Ignis was visibly uncomfortable with the situation but too tired to deal with it. Clarus held up a warning finger. "Don't throw a tantrum, young lady."   
Iris blew up her cheeks to a pout. "But cookies!"

"What about Nyx's hair?" Gladio asked to defuse the situation. "He looks really shitty with that half-finished version."  
"Gladdy, you big meanie!" she glared at him.  
"Well, finish this properly if you want to convince me otherwise."  
"I will!" She put her hands on her hips. "Sit down, Nyx. I'll make sure you're the prettiest man on all Eos!"  
"How could I ever say no to that?" Nyx replied with a chuckle, already sitting back down on the carpet in front of the couch. Iris took her seat behind him and continued her work. Not without throwing some grumpy sideglances at her brother sitting left to her, though.

With a small sigh, Ignis sat down on Gladio's left side. Resting his head against the backrest, he closed his eyes for a few seconds.

Gladio couldn't help but worry. The dark circles under Ignis's eyes looked terrible. It wasn't unusual for the advisor to be tired and exhausted, but this week, he looked worse than ever. The fact that he even accepted the offer to sit and rest without any humble decline showed this even more. Furthermore, Gladio had no idea why the other was even here. Not that he minded such a pleasant surprise.

"There are enough leftovers from dinner if you two want something," he offered.  
Clarus, who had been just standing there, having one eye on his mischievous daughter, looked at him with a frown. "Did _you_ cook again?"

"Nyx cooked, but we helped him!" Iris answered in his stead. "It was yummy even though there were green vegetables in it."  
Gladio snorted. "You've drowned that broccoli in so much soy sauce that it had turned _brown_."  
"I _ate_ it!" she retorted.

Clarus sighed, looking at his son. "Why can't _you_ cook like that?"  
"Maybe because I inherited my dad's non-existent cooking skills," Gladio replied, feeling a bit offended that he still got blamed for that one little mishap this week. And all the other times in the past, he had failed.

"You are worse than me, son." Clarus's voice was stern as he crossed his arms. "Even I don't mess up spaghetti."

"Please tell me that didn't happen." Ignis had opened his eyes again and was looking at him. Feeling caught, Gladio desperately searched for a way to talk himself out of that without lying. He came up with nothing since his sister beat him to it by telling the truth.

"The sauce was burnt yet cold, and parts of the noodles were still crunchy."  
Nyx snorted while Gladio wanted nothing more than to hide. Why did his sister have to blurt that out in front of Ignis of all people?   
" _Astrals_ ," Ignis exhaled, pinching the bridge of his nose. _"_ I'm getting a headache."

"You could teach him the basics of cooking," Nyx suggested with a sly smile.  
After looking at Gladio, Ignis's gaze went to Nyx. There was an unspoken conversation going on between the two men. His best friend pulled up an eyebrow, mouthing some silent words with his lips, and Ignis chewed on his bottom lip before he spoke up. 

"Actually, that is a good idea." Looking at Gladio, he added. "Are you free on Saturday? You can come over, and I'll teach you how to cook."  
"Yes!" Gladio exclaimed immediately, throwing a thankful look at his best friend, who winked at him in return.  
"Teaching you how to cook, huh?" Clarus repeated with a smirk. "Is that what youngsters call it? In my days, we used to say ' _see my etchings.'_ "

Ignis's eyes widened, a red blush creeping upon his face. "That hasn't been my intention!" he exclaimed, all flustered while Iris blinked in confusion.   
With a loud laugh, Clarus leaned down, exchanging a high-five with Nyx, who couldn't stop laughing either.

Gladio had known these two would pair up to tease him. They never should have met outside of work. And they were even pulling Ignis into it.  
"Dad, that-"  
"Come on, son. Don't act like a virgin. It's only natural," Clarus said with a smirk, not even listening to Gladio's complaints. "Even your sister knows that. Right, Iris? What are grown-ups doing if they really like each other?"  
" _Sucking_ and _fucking_ ," she exclaimed happily, adding, "with condoms if they don't want babies!"   
Nyx bent over cause he got hit by a laughing fit, holding his stomach. 

"I'll get you something to eat," Gladio said as he stood up from the couch.  
"I'll help you," Ignis mentioned at once, following him to the kitchen if only to get out of the situation. Even there, they could still hear the others laughing. 

"Sorry," Gladio mumbled as he took two plates out of the cabinet.  
"You have nothing to apologize for," Ignis replied with a shy smile.   
"You look as if you could fall asleep while standing," Gladio mentioned, lifting the lid from the wok. Suddenly, he felt two arms wrapping around his torso as Ignis hugged him from behind.   
Resting his head on Gladio's shoulder with closed eyes, Ignis whispered, "Maybe I'm already sleeping, and this is just a dream."

Gladio gulped, his whole body heating up at the unexpected contact. "Feels like a dream. You're usually not that touchy."

It took a few seconds for Ignis to come back to reality. With wide eyes and a sharp intake of breath, he let go of Gladio. Leaning back against the kitchen counter, he pinched the bridge of his nose. " _Bloody hell,_ I-"  
"You really are only half awake, are you?" Although Gladio was worried about the other's health, he chuckled. Ignis could be so cute when he was tired or tipsy.  
"My apologies."  
"It's fine. I don't mind if you dream about hugging me," Gladio said with a wink, making the other blush again. 

When there was no reply, he was almost afraid the other had really fallen asleep while standing this time. However, Ignis was awake, staring at him with a dreamy expression. Suddenly feeling a bit self-conscious beneath this unusual amount of attention from the other, Gladio silently placed some food on the plates. Picking up two spoons and the bottle of soy sauce, he left the kitchen. Glancing over his shoulder, he made sure that Ignis was following him.

Coming to a halt at the dining table, he placed down everything he had carried.  
"Get these plates over here," his father called out to him from the living room. "We don't need to sit at the dining table if it's just us."  
Gladio frowned. "But Iggy is-"  
His father waved his objection aside. "He's already part of the family. He can eat on the couch with us."  
Nyx smirked. "Part of the family? Don't push them too far. They are very delicate."  
"Delicate?" Clarus pulled up an eyebrow, gaze serious. "Gladiolus may be a big soft crybaby, but I have witnessed what Ignis is capable of this week. That's no delicacy. That's determination."  
"When it comes to _working_ , yes," Nyx replied with a chuckle.

Rolling his eyes at the teasing exchange, Gladio picked up the plates again. He handed one to his father, who was sitting on the couch opposite Iris and Nyx. When Ignis had sat down on the same couch as Iris again, Gladio took the place between his sister and Ignis, holding the other plate out for him.  
"Actually, I'm not even hungry," Ignis stated as if he only realized it now.  
"Eat," Clarus said strictly. "You have already skipped lunch."  
"I rarely have lunch," the advisor replied, and everyone turned to look at him. "There's just no time."

Now that Gladio thought about it, he had never witnessed Ignis eating lunch. While he had noticed that Ignis didn't visit the cafeteria, he had never questioned it. He had always thought that it was because Ignis was eating his home-made lunch.   
"But Noct once told me that you never have breakfast with him either," Gladio stated with a frown.  
"That's not true. I always drink coffee with Noct in the morning."  
" _Astrals_ , boy. Eat something," Clarus almost ordered. "You can't live on coffee alone."

Determined, Gladio placed the plate on Ignis's lap. "Eat."  
"Please forget what I have said just now," Ignis requested with a sigh. "I am sleep-talking."  
"You should join us at the cafeteria more often," Gladio mentioned, and Nyx nodded.   
"No excuses," Clarus said strictly, and Ignis gave in as he wordlessly started to eat.

Somehow, the mood had turned dark. While it was a problem that Ignis had developed such unhealthy eating habits, it wasn't something to discuss in such a large group while the protagonist of the case was overfatigued.

Knowing that he could always count on his best friend to stir a conversation in a different direction, he threw him a somewhat desperate glance.

Nyx understood him without words and smiled.  
"Let me seize the occasion to have two of the most informed people of the Citadel here and ask what the hell was going on today."

Clarus smirked. "How many rumors have the maids already spread?"

"Not much, which is unusual," the glaive replied, crossing his arms. "I've only heard something about councilman Iniustus embezzling money."

"Yeah. But he was up to even more shit after getting cold feet at the beginning of this week," Clarus replied with a saturnine look. Nodding towards Ignis, he indicated for him to take over the narration.

"Someone tried to break into my flat Tuesday night," Ignis started to explain, and Gladio turned to look at him in shock.   
"What?"  
"I had already gone to bed when I heard someone meddling with the lock at the front door. Apparently, they gave up after a while before they tried it at one of the windows next. Without getting seen, I walked there and managed to sneak a picture with my phone. The flash scared them away, but I was too frightened to fall asleep that night."

"That's scary," Iris whispered, and Gladio put his right arm around her. He longed to protectively wrap his arms around Ignis as well, but he wasn't sure if the other would want this with so many other people present.

Clarus got up from his seat. "Maybe it's time for little girls to go to bed instead of listening to scary and boring stories about work."  
"Did you catch the bad guys?" Iris asked as her father picked her up already with one strong arm.  
"Of course, we did," he reassured her as he carried her up to her room.

Sitting up on the couch, Nyx put his left arm on the backrest. Patting Gladio's shoulder, he nodded towards Ignis. Gladio hesitated for a moment, but one more stern look of his best friend was enough to convince him. 

Slowly, Gladio put his left arm on the backrest as well, carefully letting his hand rest on Ignis's shoulder.

"It _had_ been scary," Ignis admitted quietly. Leaning into Gladio's touch, he rested his head against Gladio's shoulder. Protectively, Gladio wrapped his arm around Ignis. 

"What happened next?" Nyx asked as Clarus was coming back to the living room. 

"The quality of the picture I had taken wasn't the best, but the man looked familiar to me," Ignis continued his narration. "I spent the night browsing the personnel records of the Citadel stuff until I finally came across Iniustus's secretary Interfector."

"We always knew the guy wasn't quite kosher," Clarus interjected. "It's a good thing Ignis came to Regis's office first thing yesterday morning to report everything that had happened so far. We had suspected Interfector in cases of murder quite a few times already, but he had always managed to get away. That's why we were sure that he must have an accomplice. Since we didn't know who we could trust and if someone might be listening in on us, Regis quickly changed the subject. He wrote a message on a paper, stating that Ignis's phone might be bugged and messaged Cor to come over and check it."

Gladio blinked in surprise. "I had no idea that Cor was well versed with technology."

"No one knows that," Clarus smirked proudly. "That's the point of it. Regis's suspicion had been right, though. There was a spy app on Ignis's work phone. But since he rarely leaves his phone out of his eyes, our list of suspects was short."

"Things had gotten a bit hectic during the council meeting on Tuesday when I confronted councilmember Fraudator. I might have been a bit careless back then," Ignis admitted with a sigh, putting his spoon back to his plate. He still hadn't eaten much.

"Don't blame yourself," Clarus said immediately. "It was to our advantage this time. Since we knew that they were listening in on us, we could set up a trap for them."

"You used Iggy as a bait to lure out an assassin and a spy?" Gladio asked in disbelief, his mind running circles at all the things that could have happened to Ignis.

"Relax, he was never alone since yesterday morning," his father immediately explained. And just in case, we made sure that the prince wasn't either."

"With my private phone, I texted Prompto to pick up Noctis for lunch," Ignis revealed. Gladio had been surprised that they hadn't just met Noctis at the Citadel as usual, but he hadn't thought much about it. Although he did remember his father's weird phone call where he told him to accompany Noctis back after lunch.

"You could at least have told _me_ what was going on," Gladio complained. "I was alone with Iggy yesterday afternoon. If I had known that someone was after him, I would have-"

"You wouldn't have acted naturally then," his father cut him off immediately, making Gladio grumble. While it was true that he wasn't the best actor and had sometimes trouble to hold back his temper, he would have managed at least that much. "Besides, you weren't alone. I've been in the changing room the whole time, keeping watch."

Suddenly, Gladio remembered that he indeed _had_ heard two pairs of footsteps entering, although Ignis had claimed to be alone. Furthermore, his dad had just shown up out of nowhere later.

As if he could read his thoughts, Clarus smiled at him proudly. "Although I must admit that you are sharper than I have thought. You would have noticed if someone had come in. Yet we couldn't be sure that you wouldn't be too _distracted_."

Gladio's cheeks lit up as he remembered how he had tried to flirt with Ignis and almost talked about their phone sex session. "That's why you weren't really talkative yesterday. Since you knew that my dad was listening in on us."  
"My apologies," Ignis said at once.  
"Nah, it's fine."

"So, how did you catch _the bad guys_?" Nyx asked, using Iris's words from earlier.

Clarus leaned back, putting his feet on the coffee table.  
"In the late afternoon, we worked our way through the archive and found enough evidence to convict Iniustus today. Although, we made it look like we had found nothing and had given up, trying to lure out Interfector." 

Gladio felt panic rising up inside of him. "That's like asking that assassin to come and kill Iggy at night!"

"That's why I ordered Altius to spend the night with him," Clarus explained calmly.  
"Crowe?!" Gladio asked in surprise. He knew that some of the glaives were trained to be on escort duty without asking questions or knowing who they were up against.  
"So that's why she suddenly canceled on me without mentioning any reason yesterday," Nyx concluded.

"She was the best choice," Clarus revealed. "I don't mean it offensively, but it doesn't catch attention when she takes a man home with her. She flirted with Ignis as he was about to leave the Citadel. After playing a bit hard to get, he eventually gave in and went along with her. It looked natural. Almost as if it hadn't been the first time," he added, way too sharply.

Nyx couldn't hold back a burst of laughter. Gladio knew that Ignis had told Nyx about him and Crowe last Sunday. Not with any details. He had just mentioned talking about their first times with Gladio and that he had his first time with Crowe. Of course, Nyx had immediately remembered the story with the strap-on from their little nights-out and managed to deduce everything else on his own.

"I'm a good actor," Ignis simply mumbled as he sat up straight again and took another bite from his meal. Reluctantly, Gladio put his arm back on the backrest of the couch.

"Good enough for Interfector to follow you," Clarus confirmed. "I went after him but lost him somewhere. He had either given up on attacking Ignis that night since he wasn't alone, or he had noticed me following him."

Gladio was surprised how much he had missed these last few days. "So while I thought you were spending a nice evening with Regis, you were chasing an assassin instead."

"I needed an excuse for not coming home." His father shrugged his shoulders. "And at some point of the night, I really went over to Regis's home to catch up on some sleep." With a sigh, he looked at Ignis. "Although someone else apparently didn't."

"My apologies," Ignis said, gaze downcast. "I was too agitated to sleep, although I knew I could trust Crowe to keep me safe."

A sly smile found its way to Clarus's lips. "Yet you have fallen asleep almost immediately with my son by your side yesterday afternoon."  
Gladio felt warm around his heart. By his side, Ignis had felt safe enough to sleep.  
"That's-" Ignis blushed.  
"Oh, eagle boy," his best friend said teasingly, and Gladio already saw the playful side blow coming. "No wonder you don't score anymore lately. You have gotten so boring people just fall asleep next to you."

Clarus and Nyx started to laugh.

Rolling his eyes, Gladio got back to the topic at hand. "So, what happened today?"

Clarus looked serious again. "Cor found a note pinned to Regis's office door this morning. It said, ' _Give Fraudator his seat in the council back, or something will happen to the prince_.'"

Gladio took in a sharp breath. If that wasn't a threat, he didn't know what was. 

"It was a bluff," Clarus said, and Gladio blinked in surprise. "Fraudator didn't have any accomplices. Iniustus and his people were just using his name to avert the suspicion away from them. Furthermore, we knew that they were only after Ignis since no one else was a threat to them. But just to be safe and to lull them into a false sense of security, we acted as if we were taking it seriously."

"That's why you sent me over to Noct's apartment this morning."

"Yes," his father confirmed. "While Ignis came back to the Citadel with Crowe. There was a council meeting first thing in the morning, and we used it to let Ignis expose all of Iniustus's dark deeds, arresting him on the spot." Suddenly there was a smile on Clarus's face. "Regis found it very amusing that every council member of the older generations suddenly looked scared shit as they realized that the royal advisor has finally started to prepare the ground for his future king this week."

Nyx snorted. "They must all have a skeleton or two in the closet if they are freaking out now."

Clarus waved him off. "Nothing serious, they are all just small fries. Fraudator and Iniustus were the only ones who were a thorn in our side. Regis is glad they have finally been dealt with."

Gladio smiled as he proudly squeezed Ignis's shoulder. "Thanks to the evidence _you've_ collected."

"But that hadn't been enough yet to deal with Interfector," Ignis replied humbly.

Nyx frowned. "Didn't you snap that photo of him?"

"I did. But that only proved that he tried to break into my flat. Not that he was an assassin," Ignis stated. "That is why we lured him out to catch him in the act."

"So you _did_ act as bait," Gladio said with a grumble. He never liked that tactic. It was just too dangerous. 

"Interfector wasn't stupid," Clarus continued to narrate, "but he was panicking ever since we had arrested Iniustus this morning. Yet, he still wouldn't attack Ignis during the day while the Citadel was full of other people. In the afternoon, I went over to Ignis's office to pick him up. We left his office door unlocked as we walked through the Citadel. As expected, Interspector went to Ignis's office and put something into his coffee."

Gladio took in a sharp breath.

"Poison?" Nyx asked.

"Yeah," Clarus confirmed. "Two of the victims of earlier cases we had linked to Interfector had died that way. That's why we had expected it."

"How did you catch him?" the glaive asked.

Ignis snorted. "Cor had been in my office the whole day. He had filmed everything and arrested Interfector. It was a bit weird to work the whole day with the marshal peering over my shoulder."

Even now, Ignis still looked tense despite his exhaustion. Gladio could only dare to imagine how he must have felt, knowing that his life was in danger and having Cor the Immortal observe him working.

Clarus laughed. "He can be a bit much, I know. Right now, he is checking Ignis's flat for any signs of other spyware that might have gotten installed anywhere, although we doubt that there is more than the one on his work phone. We just want to be safe. That's why I offered Ignis to stay with us tonight."

While the circumstances weren't ideal, Gladio was glad that Ignis was here tonight. Although now that they mentioned the spyware again, he remembered that Ignis's work phone had already been bugged Tuesday morning. Which meant someone had listened in on him since then. 

"Wait a second," he mumbled, pale in realization as he looked at Ignis. "When we _called_ Tuesday evening, your work phone-"

He saw the exact moment, Ignis realized what he was hinting at, his eyes getting wide, his cheeks getting red. "It was in the kitchen the whole time! It lay forgotten next to my coffee machine."

Gladio sighed in relief. He would have been furious if any random spy had listened to Ignis's delicious moans during their phone sex. 

"Close one," Nyx mumbled.

Clarus frowned, not knowing what they were talking about, but he didn't ask either. Instead, he continued to fill them in on today's events.

"To lure out the spy, we continued to pretend not knowing they even existed," he explained as he looked at his son. "When I called you this afternoon, saying that everything had been taken care of, I was standing next to Ignis's work phone, hoping the spy would be listening. We waited until almost everyone else was gone in the late afternoon. After making sure to mention that we left the evidence against Iniustus and Interfector in Ignis's office, we pretended to leave. Beforehand, we had left Ignis's private phone there on the call with my own. So we immediately heard it as someone entered the room and went back to the office."

"Can't believe they both fell to the same trick with the unlocked office," Nyx said, shaking his head in disbelief.

"I had locked the door this time," Ignis said to their surprise.  
"Huh? But how did they get in then?" Gladio asked with a frown.  
"They had a key," Ignis stated matter-of-factly.  
"Who was it?"

"It was Levis," Clarus said.  
"The maid?" Nyx exclaimed in disbelief. Gladio didn't know her. At least not by name.   
"We caught her as she burned the fake evidence we had left," Clarus mentioned. "She didn't even try to talk her way out of it, but instead just took a run for it. Although she didn't get very far as Ignis literally froze her in place." 

Nyx whistled in appreciation. "That's my magic student. I'm _so proud_ of you."

Ignis blushed, and Gladio immediately remembered how weak Ignis had been to his praise during the phone sex session the day before yesterday.

"You're so cool, Iggy!" Iris suddenly exclaimed, standing at the entrance to the living room in her pajama.  
"Who allowed you to sneak out of bed again?" Clarus asked with a sigh.  
Ignoring her father, Iris just looked at Ignis with sparkling eyes. "Sometimes, I wish _you_ were my brother."

"Hey!" Gladio complained with a sullen look on his face. While he could understand how attractive and cool Ignis was, Gladio felt his honor as a big brother getting offended.

Nyx grinned smugly. "Well, he could be your brother-in-law someday."  
"You think so, too?" Clarus asked as he picked his daughter up from the ground, no matter how much she struggled against it. "I have already suggested that as well."  
"That would make a lovely pair," Nyx added.

"Stop it with the teasing," Gladio ordered as he noticed Ignis's cheeks heating up in embarrassment again.

"I want a glass of milk before bed," Iris exclaimed, slipping out of her father's clutches and running to the kitchen. Clarus rolled his eyes.

Suddenly, Ignis got up from the couch. "If you'd excuse me, I'd like to take my leave for tonight and get some sleep."

"Of course, you must be tired," Clarus answered softly before a smirk slipped to his lips. "Gladiolus, show him the guest bedroom. Unless you two want to share your bed tonight to have-"

"As if I would do that with everyone home tonight!" Gladio exclaimed with wide eyes. 

His father simply shrugged his shoulders. "Not like it ever bothered you before."

It really hadn't. Yet then again, Gladio had never thought that his family had ever noticed anything when he had brought a one-night stand home.

Apparently, his father was aware of his son's confusion, so he explained. "I've always wondered if it were coincidence or if you encouraged them to be loud and vocal because you enjoy that."

"The second option," Nyx replied smugly, wiggling his eyebrows.  
"Nyx!" Gladio tried to kick him, but the glaive had seen it coming and avoided the blow.

"Auralism," Ignis whispered in realization, his cheeks flushed. However, Gladio couldn't make much of the word.  
"What?"  
"It's like voyeurism," Nyx explained with a smirk, "just listening instead of watching."  
"What's with listening and watching?" Iris asked innocently as she came back to the living room with her glass of milk.  
"Just stop talking! All of you!" Gladio exclaimed before he grabbed Ignis's wrist to pull him along. "I'll take you to the _guest_ bedroom."

Together, they quickly walked up the stairs, hearing Clarus and Nyx laugh behind them. Gladio had a déjà-vu from earlier when they had fled to the kitchen.

Entering the guest bedroom, he switched on the lights. Thanks to Jared, the room was in tiptop condition with fresh sheets and bedding.

When Gladio realized that he was still holding on to Ignis's wrist, he let go. "Sorry."

Ignis only smiled at him with tired eyes. 

"Anything you need?"  
"Just a bed," Ignis replied with a desperate laugh, and Gladio couldn't hold it against him after pulling two all-nighters in a row. It was a surprise Ignis hadn't collapsed today with all the additional stress of knowing that there was an assassin after him. 

Without thinking, Gladio pulled him into a hug. "I'm so glad you're safe."  
"Me too," Ignis whispered as he wrapped his arms around Gladio as well. "I have to thank your father again in some way. He really looked out for me."  
"That's his freaking job," Gladio replied.  
"It's his job to protect _the king_ ," Ignis corrected him, nitpicky as always.  
"And every employee of the Crown," Gladio added, knowing the small print of that work contract.

They both chuckled before they reluctantly let go of each other.   
"You sure you don't need anything else?" Gladio asked once more.  
"I don't need anything, but thank you," Ignis reassured him. "I will just lie down and sleep."  
"You should do that, yes," Gladio confirmed. He knew that this was his sign to leave, but he couldn't stop staring at Ignis. Remembering how much danger he had been in during the last days, Gladio just didn't want to leave him out of his eyes anymore. 

Silently, Ignis pulled up a filigree eyebrow in question, but Gladio just shook his head. "Good night, Iggy. Sleep well."  
"Good night, Gladiolus," he replied, and they stared at each other - once more unable to leave. Gladio could feel the tension between them.

After a short moment of hesitation, Gladio cupped Ignis's cheeks and placed a kiss on his forehead. "Sweet dreams," he whispered and reluctantly let go of him, finally leaving the room.

Closing the door from the outside, Gladio took a deep breath before he went back down again. 

As he entered the living room, he heard his sister complaining. "But I'm too excited about tomorrow to sleep now!"

"What's tomorrow?" Gladio asked, and Iris looked at him with sparkling eyes. "I've been invited to a pajama party! We meet up after school and stay the night!"

"That's cool," Nyx said with a genuine smile. "But you need to sleep now, or you will fall asleep too early tomorrow and miss out on all the fun."

Iris's eyes widened in shock. "I'll go to sleep!" At once, she jumped up from the couch and ran up the stairs to her bedroom.

Clarus sighed in relief as he leaned back on the couch. Ignis wasn't the only one this week had taken its toll on. His father looked exhausted as well. "You visiting the prince tomorrow evening, Gladiolus?"

"Yeah," Gladio confirmed.

"Then I'll invite Regis over for a glass of wine. That's just what I need after this stressful week."

"For a glass of wine, huh," Nyx repeated with a smug grin. "Is that what people call it these days? Not to _see your etchings_?"  
Gladio almost didn't believe that Nyx even dared to tease his father about his secret relationship with the king. Yet then again, Nyx never held back when it came to intimate talk or jokes.

"You've got balls," Clarus said sharply, but there was a smug grin on his face that rivaled Nyx's.

"Popular ones, yes," Nyx replied, and Clarus burst out laughing.

"Good one, boy," Clarus acknowledged. "Now go up to Gladiolus's room and do whatever it is you guys do on your Thursday nights."

"Most of the time, we are just talking and reading," Nyx mentioned casually what wasn't so far from the truth.

"Sure," Clarus snorted. "Have fun."

"We will." Nyx wiggled his eyebrows, and Gladio rolled his eyes before they went up to his room.

As soon as they had reached Gladio's room and locked the door behind them, Nyx stepped into Gladio's personal space bubble. With glassy eyes, he looked up at him as he whispered, "Tell me _everything_ about that phone sex call."

"Someone's needy," Gladio replied with a grin. Somehow it felt good to be on the other side of their teasing for once.  
Sighing, Nyx backed away, flopping down on the bed. "Can't blame me after Crowe stood me up yesterday." 

Knowing perfectly well how frustrating life could be without enough sex, Gladio lay down next to his best friend. Rationally, he knew that sex wasn't _needed_ and that many people could go with less, but he and Nyx had long accepted that they were addicted to it and didn't want to settle for less.

"Alright, I'll tell you."  
"Perfect." Nyx grinned as he rolled unto his stomach, hugging Gladio's pillow. "And afterwards, I'll read you pretty boy's newest fanfic."

Gladio blinked in surprise. "Wait. Since when is there a new one?"  
"Tuesday night."  
"No way. Iggy wouldn't write right after someone tried to break into his flat," Gladio said, although he recalled that Ignis had mentioned something about writing yesterday afternoon.  
Nyx shrugged his shoulders. "I guess he wrote it earlier. Probably right after your phone call." There was a smug grin on his best friend's face, and Gladio suddenly felt hot. If Ignis had written it after their call, he might have used some parts of their conversation as a reference. Even if he had gotten into it, Ignis had started it all because of research. Gladio snorted. If he hadn't noticed how genuinely aroused Ignis had been, he would almost feel used - although Gladio had offered his advice in the first place.

"Less thinking, more talking," Nyx prompted, and Gladio complied.

Just telling his best friend how it had started and then suddenly switched into something more intimate made him feel hot again. Nyx wasn't off much better. In the beginning, he had sat up on the bed, casually taking the colorful hair ties out of his hair, placing them on the nightstand. But when Gladio's narration reached the interesting part, Nyx lay back down again. Although he was lying on his stomach, Gladio knew the other was getting hard as well. He could see it in his eyes and the way he licked his lips more often. Yet even with this sexy display right next to him, Gladio couldn't help but think about Ignis, wondering how _his_ face would look once he was overcome by arousal.

"I knew pretty boy had it in him once he overcame his shyness," Nyx said smugly at the end of Gladio's narration. Without further ado, he turned around on the bed to take his phone out of his pockets. If he had noticed Gladio staring at the bulge in his pants for a few moments, he didn't show it. 

"Okay, let's see." Browsing through his phone, Nyx opened a tab with the new fanfiction. "The tags are: NSFW, new relationship, sex toys, and preparing for phone sex."

"Just _preparing_?" There was disappointment in Gladio's voice.  
"Well, who writes about phone sex anyway? Expressing all these sounds only with words isn't easy. People wanna _hear_ that, not _read_ it," Nyx mentioned with a shrug.

"Just let me hear your sexy voice now," Gladio requested, knowing full well how much Nyx liked to be praised for his voice. The fact that Gladio was into sounds just was a nice bonus.

"I didn't expect you to be so eager about this tonight," his best friend mentioned, stalling.  
"Why?" Gladio kept his question short, getting a bit impatient.  
"I just thought you might be more embarrassed about this, knowing that Ignis was sleeping merely two rooms next to us."

A sharp intake of breath was all the answer Nyx needed to start chuckling. "You haven't even thought about that, have you?"  
"Not until you've mentioned it," Gladio admitted, feeling his cheeks heat up.  
"Who knows, maybe he will walk through your door any second now to join us." Nyx's voice had been deep and seductive.  
"Don't give me ideas!" Gladio complained as he rolled unto his stomach, burying his face in the sheets. "Jmsmt smatm rmedmimg mtmt mhanmmt."

Nyx laughed loudly. "What was that? I'm sorry, but even after all these years, I still don't understand your muffled mumbling."

"Just start reading that fanfic," Gladio repeated after turning his head to face his friend.

"Alright, alright." Nyx chuckled before he began reading.

_Liber had no idea how he had ended up in this situation, but he had agreed to have phone sex with Aegis._

_They hadn't been together for long, and Aegis was very patient when Liber had announced that he'd like to take it slow. Despite his desires, it took a lot for Liber to get physical with the other man. He couldn't deny that he was curious, though. Curious enough that even though they hadn't yet slept with each other, they had tried a few things._

_Sexting, for example, had been surprisingly fun. It was easier for Liber since Aegis couldn't see his flustered face. Furthermore, not that he wanted to brag, but Liber knew his way with words. When it came to writing and reading, he had the home-turf advantage._

_They had sexted a few times by now, and yesterday Aegis had suggested trying something different today: phone sex. Without hesitation, Liber had accepted. They had agreed on a time, and Aegis had told him how to prepare:_

_'Make sure to have one of your sex toys ready at hand. The one that resembles my cock the most.'_

_Just re-reading that text message made Liber shudder in anticipation. And while he would like nothing more than to fulfill this request and be perfectly prepared, there was one tiny problem. Or a big problem:_

_He had no idea how Aegis's erect manhood looked like._

_Was it long or short, thick or thin, curved or straight? How hot would he feel? How hard would he get? How much precum would leak?_

_Just thinking about these things made the blood rush to Liber's lower regions._

_He knew that not even one of his colorful sex toys could ever manage to compare to the real deal._

_So, based on which factors should he choose his toy for tonight? A dildo would be more realistic than a vibrator. But he loved his vibrators more because they were more intense. And sex with Aegis wouldn't be anything less. Liber's behind yearned to be filled up and massaged by his favorite toy. Yet then again, he didn't know if the sounds of the vibrator would turn Aegis on or bother him during their call._

_Liber wanted this to be as realistic as possible. He longed to hear Aegis moaning his name, desired to feel the exact shape of his cock, the rhythm of his powerful thrusts._

_Studying the accumulation of his sex toys, Liber suddenly had an epiphany. Why had he even given this so much thought? There was an easy solution that promised the most realistic experience._

_Taking out his phone, he texted Aegis:_

_'Want to visit me at home instead of calling me tonight?'_

Gladio stared at Nyx with wide eyes. " _Don't_ tell me he stopped right at the best part!"  
Nyx chuckled, although it sounded a bit desperate. "He sure knows how to build up anticipation."

With a groan, Gladio slammed his hands against his face. "Even _I_ want to get fucked by Aegis now!"  
"You _are_ Aegis, you idiot," Nyx replied, playfully slapping his upper arm.  
"I _know_ , but-" Gladio let out a needy growl.

The playful hum that came from his best friend caught Gladio's attention. He could already sense a good idea coming from the other.

"Did you have anything up your ass since that disaster last Tuesday?"  
Just remembering that failed masturbation session caused Gladio's libido to subside a bit again. "No."  
Yet the grin on Nyx's face was promising as he got up to sit cross-legged. "Take out your toy collection, eagle boy. We will search for the one that resembles pretty boy the most, and then you'll have some fun."

"Oh gods, yes," Gladio exhaled, already rolling down from the bed. "You have the best ideas." Sitting on the ground, he opened the drawer of his nightstand, taking out his collection. It wasn't much since he had always preferred real sex over toys.

Besides the purple vibrator with the suction cup Nyx had gifted him, he had a chain with metal anal beads, a huge black dildo, and two vibrators of different sizes - one red, one black.

"Eagle boy," Nyx said, unusually strict as Gladio put his lube bottles on the bed as well. "You really have more different lubes than toys?"

"Huh? That's not-" Gladio wanted to retort, and his gaze fell upon his bed. First, there was an oily massage gel that claimed to be useable as lube. Next, he had a lube that warmed by contact and another one that cooled down. Furthermore, he had a plain water-based one, another lube that smelled like green apples, and one with cherry flavor. That made six bottles of lube next to five sex toys. "I've never even realized that."

"And that from the guy who almost couldn't wait until his eighteenth birthday to get something up his ass," Nyx replied playfully.

"Hey! This has nothing to do with that," Gladio complained as he sat back down on the bed. "Besides, I'm content with these toys. If I was in the mood for something else, I usually just picked up a different guy. Or went to you."

"You always came to me since you knew that I'm the best," Nyx replied smugly, wiggling his eyebrows.

Ignoring this comment to avoid boosting Nyx's narcissistic ego even more, Gladio went back to the topic at hand. "So, which one should I use?"

They both checked out his collection.

"That one is out if we wanna go with something resembling his cock," Nyx said, putting the anal beads back into the drawer.

"Can't argue with that," Gladio confirmed.

"This is a no-go as well," Nyx mentioned, picking up Gladio's huge dildo. "You're too impatient and too out of practice. Also, pretty boy isn't that thick."  
While Gladio believed that to be true, Ignis had more than once surprised him with unexpected things. "You can't know that for sure."  
"Eagle boy, _please_. I see him in these tight leggings two times every week. He couldn't hide something massive like _this_ ," his best friend said as he put the dildo away.

"You're supposed to teach him magic, not to check out his dick," Gladio playfully berated his best friend.  
"Come on. It's impossible _not_ to look," Nyx said matter-of-factly, knowing full well that Gladio couldn't disagree with him.

"So, which of these three _is_ hidden beneath those sexy leggings?"  
Crossing his arms, Gladio studied his three vibrators: the purple one with the suction cup, the straight black one, and the red one, curved to hit his prostate.

A thoughtful hum left his best friend. "When it comes to thickness, these three are all about average, so let's go with length. The purple one is about average, the others are longer. How is pretty boy?" 

"Longer," Gladio whispered before he cleared his throat.  
Nyx chuckled. "That's what you'd prefer, isn't it?"  
"Honestly, I've never really given it that much thought," Gladio replied. "It's not like I have a size kink or anything. Besides, it's not about my preferences but about Iggy, right?" 

He still couldn't believe that they were actually doing this right now. 

"True," Nyx confirmed. "But I agree with your choice. Pretty boy is tall, and the way he fills these leggings is promising. His length must be above the average."

"That rules out the purple one," Gladio concluded, putting it away. "Leaves us with black and red."

"More straight," Nyx said, his hand gliding along the black vibrator, "or curvier?" With one finger, his best friend traced the curve of the red vibrator.

"I have no idea, man," Gladio replied, his eyes turning from one toy to the other, trying to picture them on Ignis.  
"We can't know for sure, but someone perfect like pretty boy probably has a perfectly straight cock as well, don't you think?"  
"Sounds reasonable." Without further ado, Gladio put the red vibrator away.

With a smirk, Nyx held the black one they had chosen. "Look at this," he said with his sultry voice. "Not too thin, not too thick, but firm, long, and straight. Doesn't this look like the perfect cock?"

"Actually, now that I think about it," Gladio stared at his sex toy resting in Nyx's hands right above his lap, "it looks like _your_ dick."

"Like I said: the _perfect_ cock. Besides, didn't you always come to _me_ when you wanted to feel good?" Nyx's voice had taken on that low, seductive sound that always brought goosebumps to Gladio's skin.  
"Yeah," he whispered, not caring how needy he sounded.  
"See? So with this guy," Nyx waved the toy, "it will be just like the good old days."

"Fuck, yes," Gladio replied, getting impatient. "Which lube?" 

"I want you to take your time preparing, so take the oily one," Nyx said, handing him the massage gel before he stored everything else in the drawer of the bedside table. "Now, for _my_ choice."

Before Gladio could ask what they were choosing from for him, Nyx had already started to call someone. Putting them on speaker, he laid his phone on the bed.

"You better have a good reason for calling me this late, hero," Crowe complained as soon as she picked up.  
"I've got a hard-on," Nyx stated simply while he lazily rubbed his hand along the vibrator he held in his lap, his alluring eyes on Gladio.  
Crowe snorted. "Is that _my_ problem?"  
"It _could_ be if you wanted to," he said smugly before he lasciviously licked his lips. 

Gladio took in a sharp breath. His underwear was wet from all the precum he had leaked during these last minutes.

"Yeah, yeah. Stop talking, and get your ass into my bed. I'm too tired after being on guard duty all night and watching over recruits the whole day because Cor had been gods-know-where."  
Nyx chuckled. "Keep your window open, kitty cat, and I'll warp right through it in fifteen minutes."  
"Whatever," she replied and ended the call.

"I think that's the first time I haven't heard her complaining about that nickname," Gladio uttered in realization.  
Nyx chuckled. "She is fine with _kitty cat_ when she's feeling passive and submissive. But usually, she's more of a _wildcat_."

Of course, Nyx had different nicknames for her moods. 

"Alright," Gladio chuckled, "then go off to your kitty cat, so I can start having fun."  
"You're kicking me out? I'm hurt, eagle boy." Theatrically, Nyx held a hand against his chest.  
"You'll survive," Gladio replied dryly.

"Alright, alright, I'll go," Nyx said as he got up from the bed. "Make sure to take enough time preparing, so you won't get hurt like last week."  
"Yeah, yeah."  
"Not _'yeah, yeah,'_ eagle boy. Fifteen minutes of preparation," his best friend instructed.  
"Oh, come on. That's too much," Gladio complained.

"It's never too much. You're just always too impatient," Nyx said strictly. "Besides, I'll be at Crowe's in fifteen minutes. Wouldn't it be hot if we did it at the same time? That would be almost like doing it together."

"You would think about me while fucking Crowe?" Gladio got up from the bed as well.  
"She wouldn't mind." Nyx shrugged his shoulders.  
"Fuck."  
There was a smug smile on Nyx's lips. "Deal?"  
"Deal," Gladio agreed.  
Leaning closer, Nyx whispered in Gladio's ear. "Although I bet that your thoughts will drift to pretty boy sleeping just two rooms away from you."

Gladio took in a sharp breath. His best friend just _had_ to remind him of that fact right now.

With a chuckle, Nyx opened the door, and they silently walked through the hallway. It was dark and quiet, everyone else already asleep. When they passed by the guest bedroom, Nyx wiggled his eyebrows, and Gladio rolled his eyes.

They went down the stairs and to the front door, where Nyx put on his shoes. "Fifteen minutes, eagle boy," he whispered once more before he was off.

_Fuck._ Gladio felt so hot.

He ran the stairs back up, only stopping at the bathroom to pick up a towel before he went back to his room, locking the door.

Pulling down his pants, he lay down on the towel on the bed. Without further ado, he squeezed the oily lube on his fingers and traced his entrance. Since he wasn't patient enough for any more foreplay after that evening, he inserted his first finger. 

A low growl left his lips. It felt good, yet not enough. He had no idea how he should manage to wait fifteen more minutes. Funnily enough, he was never that impatient when it came to preparing his partner. 

Closing his eyes, he imagined preparing Ignis. What kind of face would he make when Gladio inserted a finger? Would he immediately beg for more, being needy and greedy? Remembering their phone sex, that might actually be the case. With a grin, Gladio put a second finger inside. Thanks to the slippery oil, it went in with ease, even though it was a tight fit. He really hadn't done this often enough lately. But Ignis was used to this. He would take two fingers like a champ. That thought alone made Gladio moan again, his hole clenching around his fingers. 

How many minutes had passed since Nyx had left? Gladio hadn't even checked the time. And he didn't feel like doing it now. Nyx had always moaned so deliciously when Gladio had fingered him, especially if he had pressed against his prostate. Whenever he used fingers on himself, Gladio had trouble properly hitting that spot. That's one of the reasons he usually rushed the preparation and went for toys instead. 

As he moved his fingers back and forth while spreading them a bit further each time, Gladio wondered how patient Ignis was during preparation. Someone as neat and proper as he probably had no trouble taking the required time. 

A shudder went through Gladio's body as he remembered how Ignis had come right after inserting his third finger on Tuesday. Encouraged by that, Gladio added another finger as well. Taking in a sharp breath, he held still for a moment to get used to the feeling. 

With his left hand, he grabbed his neglected dick. He had intended to ignore it until he had inserted his toy, but he needed to feel good _now_. His hips bucked up into the touch as he stroked up and down his hot and hard length.

Cupping the head, he remembered Nyx's tongue teasingly swirling around it the last time he had fingered Gladio. Getting prepared by Nyx had always ended up in getting teased.

A desperate chuckle left Gladio's lips. Even now, when he wasn't even here, he teased him with these agonizingly long fifteen minutes. 

Tentatively, Gladio moved his three fingers further out and then back in. It didn't hurt, and it went nice and smoothly thanks to the oil. 

He couldn't wait any longer. 

Taking out his fingers, he grabbed his toy and covered it in more lube. Would a clean freak like Ignis be taken aback by the fact that Gladio didn't use condoms when he used his toys on himself? 

Putting the tip against his entrance after turning on the vibrations, Gladio closed his eyes, trying to imagine Ignis above him. What kind of face would he make when he rubbed his erection against him and when he finally slipped in?

As he threw back his head, a deep guttural moan tumbled from Gladio's lips. Grabbing his dick with his left hand, Gladio put the toy in all the way. With his right hand, he turned the vibrations to the maximum.

_Fuck._ He felt so full now.

Ignis probably wouldn't dare to take him with just one smooth move. He would be slow and careful. But Nyx always took him in one-go. After all the teasing during the preparation, that immediately made Gladio feel close to coming.

Moving his toy out almost entirely, only to push it back in again, Gladio wondered if Nyx was already inside Crowe right now. Would she ride him? No, not today since she was tired. She would probably lie on her back just like Gladio did right now, while she got fucked by Nyx. 

Hitting his prostate, Gladio curled his toes as another moan slipped from his lips.

_Fuck._ Hopefully, no one would hear him. Only two walls were separating him from Ignis. Would Ignis be turned on if he heard him?

Gladio sped up his movements: his left hand cupping his tip while he tried to aim for his prostate with the toy in his right one. 

Would Ignis enjoy hearing him masturbate? Would he like to watch him? Gladio would put on a show for him - he wasn't shy about his pleasure. Another shudder went through him as he imagined Ignis's sharp green eyes on him, watching his every movement.

A familiar heat was coming up in his lower regions, his left hand desperately pumping up and down his hard cock.

He was so close.

With a moan, he remembered how Ignis had talked him through the last seconds during the phone sex. His voice had been so sexy. He longed to hear it. If Ignis were riding him right now, Gladio would make him moan.

Tightening the grip on his erection, Gladio imagined Ignis squeezing him. 

Hitting his prostate with an accuracy he usually never managed on his own, he imagined Nyx fucking him.

_Fuck._ It would be so hot to be between these two as they moaned and talked to him. Gladio would move back and forth to meet their thrusts, getting pleasured from two sides.

Lifting his hips from the bed as the sheer force of his orgasm finally hit him, one last moan left his lips.

Panting, he turned off the vibrations of his toy as he settled back against his bed.

When the fog in his mind lifted, he realized that he had just come to the thought of having a threesome with his love interest and his best friend.

Well, it wasn't like the topic had never come up before. Gladio had just never dared to really let his thoughts drift that far. 

Taking out his toy, Gladio looked at it. It really resembled Nyx's shape. Although Gladio could perfectly imagine it on Ignis as well.

Catching his breath, he sat up on the bed. He had thought about dicks long enough. Now, he should clean up and go to sleep. 

His knees felt a bit weak as he got up, but he managed to reach the bathroom. After cleaning up and a quick shower, he put on some boxer briefs and went back to his room. Storing the toy away, he got into bed.

To wind down after these eventful last hours, Gladio played one of the super easy puzzle games on his phone that always bored him to sleep.

It worked as he felt his eyes getting heavy after a few minutes until a text message popped up on his screen.

Ignis:  
 _Are you still awake?_

Well, he definitely was awake now because his heart had started to race as soon as he had read Iggy's name.

Gladio:  
 _Yeah, but why are_ you _still up?_

Ignis:  
 _I can't fall asleep._

Gladio:  
 _Why?_

Ignis:  
 _I do not know for certain. Maybe because I'm alone in an unknown room after this stressful week. I am having difficulties relaxing._

Taking in a sharp breath, Gladio tried to fight back the thought that had sparked in his mind. If Ignis just didn't want to be _alone_ , there was an easy solution for it. Typing out a message, he deleted it again. He really shouldn't go there. But then again: What did he have to lose by making a friendly offer? Ignis could simply decline it.

Gladio:  
 _I'm just a few rooms away, and my bed is big enough for two._

Ignis:  
 _Are you suggesting that I should sneak into your bed?_

Gladio:  
 _I'm just offering. It's your choice, no hard feelings._

Staring at his phone, Gladio waited for another answer. When he heard quiet footsteps, followed by a soft knock against his door, he shuddered in anticipation. Ignis had really come.

"Yeah," he said raspily, and his door opened. Ignis entered the room with a blanket wrapped around him and a pillow in his arms.  
He almost looked like Noctis had this morning. A few strands of his hair were hanging in his face since the hair gel had lost its grip.

When Gladio noticed that Ignis was wearing the same tracksuit he had worn yesterday, he suddenly was painfully aware of the fact that he wore nothing but underwear. At least, he had put them on. That wasn't even a given for him since he didn't mind sleeping naked.

Glad that he had his blanket pulled up unto his chin, Gladio scooted over to the right side of the bed that was located closer to the window, making room for the other. Without a word, Ignis put his phone and his glasses on the nightstand. Next, he placed his pillow on the bed and lay down on his side, looking at Gladio. 

"Hi," Gladio said, although he immediately felt derpy for it.  
"Hello," Ignis replied nonetheless.  
"Feeling better over here?"  
"Much better," he confirmed with a smile.

The moonlight was shining in through the window, illuminating Ignis's pale face. It was unusual to see him without his glasses. Carefully, Gladio reached out with his hand to softly brush over Ignis's cheek. His own tanned-skin looked dark in comparison. 

Despite his exhaustion, Ignis's eyes were sharp as they traveled along Gladio's arm. "Are you naked?"

"No," Gladio denied, pulling his arm back to hide it under the blanket again. "I'm wearing boxer briefs." 

Ignis chuckled. "Your answers are always so honest and elaborated."

Gladio frowned. "Are you sure you're not talking about yourself?"

"No," Ignis replied with a small smile. "I would only have mentioned _underwear_ without describing the style. But thank you for that mental image."

"You're welcome," Gladio answered with a grin. "Will that help you to fall asleep?"

A chuckle left thin lips. "Hardly. Tell me about your evening with Nyx."

"I bragged a bit about Tuesday, and then he read me your newest fanfic."  
"Oh." Even in the pale moonlight, the color rising to Ignis's cheeks was visible.

Afraid to scare him away with too many details, Gladio shortened his narration.  
"Well, we talked about some stuff, and after he had left, I had some fun before showering and going to bed."  
"Don't rile me up when I'm trying to sleep."  
"Sorry," Gladio apologized at once, averting his gaze as he turned to lie on his back. Yet after a short moment, he moved his head to the left to look at Ignis again. "That thought riles you up?"

"Of course, it does." Ignis frowned. "What did you expect?"  
"Sorry, I'll just stop talking," Gladio said, looking up at his ceiling once more. 

"No, now I'm curious," Ignis said, moving a bit closer towards him. "Did you like the fanfiction?"

"You mean, except for the fact that you quit right at the best part?" Gladio huffed. "Yes."  
"My apologies. It had taken a different turn than planned, so I was a bit lost." Ignis sighed. "What did you do after reading?"  
"Our best to ignore the large erections in our pants."

To his surprise, Ignis chuckled. "See? That's what I meant with _honest and elaborated answers_."

A small groan left Gladio. That last sentence hadn't even been on purpose. Sometimes, the words just slipped out of his mouth on their own without any filter. Knowing that he couldn't hold back anyway, he went on. "Well, if you are so used to my honest answers, I don't have to hold back. Nyx wanted to see my _toy collection_ then."

"Did he like it?" There was a genuine interest in Ignis's voice.

Gladio snorted at the memory. "He teased me for having six different sorts of lubes, but only five sex toys."  
"That is rather unusual, isn't it?" Ignis pushed his thin eyebrows together to a frown. "Furthermore, I would have thought you'd own more to have a _wider variety_ to choose from."

It wasn't difficult to guess where this impression was coming from. After all, Gladio had been known for choosing different partners all the time. Although Ignis should know better by now. Gladio had done that only because he hadn't found anyone to settle with. 

He chose his next words carefully. 

"If something is almost perfect, I don't need that much variation."  
Ignis looked surprised. " _Almost_ perfect?"  
"Well, nothing and no one is perfect."  
"So you would even settle for someone who isn't perfect?" Ignis asked, biting his bottom lip. There was so much anxiety in his voice, and Gladio longed for nothing more than to show Ignis just how perfect he was to him, even with all his small imperfections.

"As an Amicitia, I love to take on challenges. Being with someone who is completely perfect would be boring, don't you think?"  
A small smile slipped to Ignis's lips. "You know how to turn weaknesses into strengths."

"I do," Gladio replied with a wink. Turning to lie on his side again, he scooted over, a bit closer to Ignis. Their knees were touching, although their blankets were still between them. "So, how many sex toys do _you_ have?"

"That's-" Ignis pulled his blanket further up until right under the tip of his nose.

"Okay, wait." Realizing that he had pushed him too far, Gladio tried a different approach. "How many sex toys does Liber have?"  
"That's basically the exact same question, and you know it," Ignis said, putting the blanket back down to his shoulders again.

"Just thought that might make it easier," Gladio explained with a shrug.   
There was a frown on Ignis's face as his lips formed words without sounds.   
"What are you doing?"  
"Hush, I'm counting," Ignis replied sternly.

Suddenly, Gladio felt excited. "Oh my gods, so many?"  
"Eleven?" Ignis mentioned tentatively.  
" _Ifrit's balls!_ " That was more than twice as much as Gladio owned. "Are you sure that _you_ could settle for only one person?"  
"Yes."

"Okay, wait." Chuckling, Gladio pulled his blanket down to his hips since he was starting to feel hot. "The most important question: How many different bottles of lube do you have?"  
"Two," Ignis replied with a whisper, his eyes traveling across Gladio's naked chest and his arms, following the lines of the eagle tattoo. When Gladio couldn't help but smirk, Ignis sheepishly turned his gaze away again. "How-" he cleared his throat "-did it go from checking out your collection to you having some fun after Nyx had left?"

Feeling his grin widen, Gladio edged closer towards Ignis once more. "Well, we pondered which toy I should use. Similar to how Liber had done it, we searched the one that would be closest to reality."  
Ignis gulped. "And your conclusion?" The question had been nothing more than a whisper, but Gladio was close enough to feel Ignis's breath on his face.

"Not too thick, but above average length, and perfectly straight," Gladio explained how they imagined Ignis's erection.  
"Nothing about me is _straight_ ," Ignis joked with a snort.

Gladio's eyebrows went up in surprise at this honest admission. "So it's curved upwards?"  
"And a little bit to the left," Ignis confessed with a whisper.  
" _Fuck_ , I wanna see," Gladio blurted out.  
Ignis pulled up his legs along with the blanket, his knees bumping against Gladio's. His eyes were wide as his cheeks flared up.  
"Not _now_!" Gladio uttered. "Don't panic."  
"I'm not panicking," Ignis said, but the words had been rushed.

For a moment, they just kept staring at each other. They were close enough for their breaths to mingle, and Gladio felt that tension coming up again. 

His fingers longed to reach out to trace the sharp cheekbones of Ignis's face - the other really needed to eat more.   
His arms longed to pull Ignis in a hug as he remembered what the other had been through these last two days.  
His dick longed to-

Taking a deep breath, Gladio turned around to lie on his back. Looking up at the ceiling, he tried to calm his thoughts. Ever since their first kiss on Saturday, Gladio had gotten more impatient than ever before. Their phone sex on Tuesday had quelled some of his desires. But at the same time, it had awoken so many more. Never before had Ignis been so close to him. Never before had Gladio felt Ignis's attraction towards him so strongly. 

The tension was almost unbearable. And Gladio knew that Ignis was feeling it as well. 

They were so close to each other, there wasn't much missing to finally seal the deal.

Only one more step was needed, but he couldn't put his finger on it to pinpoint what it was.

"Hey, Iggy?" Gladio whispered eventually, breaking the silence that had settled between them. "I'm still wondering what you had wanted to ask me on Saturday."

Turning his head to the left, he looked into Ignis's sleeping face - peaceful and soft, just as it had been yesterday afternoon. It proved once more how safe Ignis felt around him, and Gladio's heart warmed up at the thought.

With a relaxed smile on his lips, Gladio closed his eyes and eventually drifted off to sleep as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Having guests in the Amicitia household always ends up with Gladio getting teased. #sorrynotsorry 
> 
> I hope you've enjoyed reading! Feel free to drop a comment, reading your thoughts and impressions keeps me going ♥  
> I'm using Twitter on a daily basis, so if you're ever interested in any updates, you know where to look!  
> [Check out my Profile to find me on Tumblr or Twitter!](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SophiaHoppia/profile)  
> [Or simply check out my other fanfictions!](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SophiaHoppia/works)


	18. 14.5. [Friday] - Love and desires

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Talking about sexual orientations on the internet always feels like metaphorically stepping on a minefield.   
> Please be open and kind to each other. Let everyone use the terms they are comfortable identifying with, even if you aren't 100% agreeing with their definition.
> 
> \---
> 
> I have finished writing this fanfiction by now (>270k words)! Uploading will still take some time, because I have to edit a lot, though. 
> 
> Also, I've added all the mising tags and put them in a (somewhat) decent order :)

Gladio groaned when his alarm rang on Friday morning. That sound meant he had to get up, but he was too tired to even move or open his eyes.

Yet his alarm didn't stop ringing, and it was getting on his nerves. With a sigh, he used his right arm to pat across the nightstand until he found his phone. He squinted his eyes at the bright display as he finally turned off the alarm.

Turning back around with closed eyes, he almost drifted back to sleep until the memories of last night came rushing back to him.

"Iggy!" Gladio said as he sat up in bed, looking to his left.

But there was only a neatly folded blanket with a cushion lying on top of it. Of course, the advisor was already up and had sneaked out of bed. 

Rubbing his eyes, Gladio yawned. He didn't even want to know how exhausted Ignis must be feeling. Gladio was already beaten after this short night, and he hadn't pulled two all-nighters the days before.

Scratching his stomach as another yawn tumbled from his lips, Gladio got out of bed as well. After picking up some clothes and going to the bathroom, he went downstairs to the kitchen. 

Even before he had entered the room, he got drawn to it by a pleasant smell. What was that?

His eyes fell on the kitchen counter: There was a loaf of bread, freshly baked. Next to it lay a small note.

Gladio huffed in disbelief. That couldn't be. How early had Ignis gotten up? He knew nothing about baking bread, but he was sure that it couldn't get done in five minutes. Picking up the note his father had left, Gladio read it.

_We've already left for the Citadel. Walk your sister to school. She can take yesterday's leftovers for lunch. Make sure she has everything she needs for the sleepover._

Sometimes Gladio wished his father would, at least, start his notes by wishing him a good morning, but that would probably never happen. By now, he had almost gotten used to the fact that his father's notes looked like to-do-lists.

"Morning!" Iris exclaimed as she came running into the kitchen. "What's that delicious smell?" Her eyes fell on the bread. "Oh my gods, is it still hot? I want a slice!"

Putting down the note, Gladio turned on the coffee machine. "Morning," he mumbled. Sometimes he wished he had his sister's level of energy in the morning.

"Where's Iggy?"  
"At work," Gladio replied shortly. As he saw that Iris had picked up a large knife, he quickly took it out of her hands. She pouted but didn't complain as Gladio cut off some slices of bread.

"And dad?"  
"At work," he repeated.   
"You are grumpy! Why are you so grumpy, Gladdy? The day has only just begun!"

Gladio rolled his eyes with a sigh. "I'm not grumpy. I'm tired."  
"It's your own fault for going to bed too late," Iris berated him, and he was too sleepy to argue against that. 

After taking two plates out of the cabinet, he placed the bread slices on them and handed them to her sister. Diligently, she put them on the small kitchen table.

Opening the fridge, he noticed that it was almost empty. As it had been the whole week. Without much choice, he took out a jar of jam, putting it on the table as well. Iris sneaked past him and took the milk out of the fridge.

Together, they had breakfast. When Gladio finally had his first sip of coffee, he was slowly starting to feel more alive. Ignis's bread tasted delicious, and Gladio took out his phone to message him.

Gladio:  
 _That is the tastiest bread I've ever eaten._

Ignis:  
 _You're exaggerating._

Gladio:  
 _No, I'm not. Accept the praise._

Ignis:  
 _If you insist. Thank you._  
 _I have to put my phone away. There is still much to do to wrap up yesterday's events._

Gladio:  
 _Alright, don't work too hard!_

Ignis:  
 _Don't worry about me._

Gladio _always_ worried about Ignis. Somehow, he had to make sure that the other took better care of himself. 

"Did you tell Iggy that his bread is yummy?" Iris asked as he took another bite.  
"Yeah," Gladio confirmed with a smile. Remembering his father's tasks, he spoke up again. "Have you prepared everything for your sleepover tonight?"

"Yup!" As she happily listed everything she had packed, Gladio was wondering how huge her bag was. She probably wouldn't need half of all the stuff, but he was content after he had heard the essentials like toothbrush and pajama had been included as well.

Together, they finished breakfast, and Gladio walked his sister to school.

When he arrived at the Citadel, he walked towards Cor's office. As he crossed the last corner, his eyes fell on five maids. Domicella and three others had their ears pressed against Cor's office door. Verecunda stood behind them, a flustered expression on her face as she reached out to them, trying to stop them without daring to speak up.

Suddenly, Cor opened his door with a loud bang. On reflex, the four maids jumped to the left and right, using their cleaning rags to wipe the doorframe and the windows, trying to act normal.

Only Verecunda stood, frozen in shock, right in front of Cor. She paled, tears coming to her eyes as he stared down at her with crossed arms.  
"Move," the marshall ordered strictly.   
Domicella grabbed Verecunda's wrist to pull her along as all the maids ran away in different directions.

With a sigh, Cor moved to the side. Ignis stepped out of his office, a can of Ebony coffee in his hand.

With a small smile, he nodded at Gladio before he walked away as well - busy as always. He had been wearing his usual work attire, his hair perfectly styled up. Aside from the dark circles under his eyes, he had looked normal and not as though he had been through two hellish days.

"You looking for me?" Cor asked as his gaze fell on Gladio.  
"Ah, yeah. Just wanted to ask if I should look after the recruits. Thought you might be busy after yesterday."  
"It's fine. I've got it covered. Focus on your own training today. You've been slacking off," Cor said straightforwardly. Without awaiting Gladio's reply, he walked off.

With a sigh, Gladio turned around. He jumped in surprise as Domicella suddenly stood right in front of him, her piercing green eyes staring up at him. He hadn't even heard her coming back. "You look like you have the information I want," the maid said with a scheming grin.

"I'm not allowed to talk about it," Gladio replied. He didn't intend to spread any more rumors.

"Is Ignis alright?" Verecunda asked quietly. She was hiding behind the corner, only her head visible, a worried expression on her face.

"Yeah, Iggy is fine." He could at least admit that much.   
A relieved smile found its way to Verecunda's lips.

"What about Levis?" Domicella asked. "She hasn't come to work this morning."  
"Sorry, I'm not allowed to talk about it," Gladio repeated as he set out for training halls.  
"Is she alright?" Verecunda wanted to know as the two maids followed him. 

When Domicella realized that Gladio wouldn't reply, she tried a different approach. "I've heard that councilman Iniustus got dismissed summarily and even got arrested. Has that anything to do with Levis not showing up for work?"

"Don't you have work to do?" Gladio returned with a sigh.  
"I am working," Domicella replied, hands on her hips as she walked backwards in front of him.  
Verecunda shyly followed them.  
For a moment, Gladio was wondering if spreading rumors were part of a Citadel's maid's job description. They sure acted like it.

"Sorry, I really can't tell you anything else," Gladio said one last time as he entered the men's changing room.  
Domicella tried to follow him inside, but Verecunda wrapped her arms around her, pulling her back with her whole body. "Domicella, wait! You can't go inside there."  
"Watch me!"  
"No," the shy maid whined in desperation, and Gladio closed the door behind him.

Two glaives who were in the changing room laughed at the display. "The maids are relentless today," one of them said.  
"They drilled me with questions as well," the other one mentioned.

Suddenly the door to the changing room burst open again, and Domicella stepped inside with her hands on her hips. "Is it true that Crowe seduced Ignis on Wednesday?"

Gladio grimaced. Of course, someone had witnessed Crowe picking up Ignis.

"Hey," the first glaive said, crossing his arms as he walked towards the door in nothing but his underwear. "This is the _men's_ changing room, so out with you!"

Verecunda, who had sheepishly looked in the room, screeched as her eyes fell on the half-naked man. She slapped her hands against her face, her glasses sliding up.

Domicella wasn't affected at all, putting one foot upon one of the benches, crossing her arms. "Who do you think cleans this smelly room every day? I'm _allowed_ to be here!"

"Dolor!" Cor called out, suddenly standing in the door. Domicella flinched as she heard her last name. Verecunda had fallen down on her ass as she scarily stared up at him.  
"To my office! _At once,_ " the marshall ordered, turning around to leave.   
"Yes, sir," Domicella whispered, looking down as she quickly followed him. 

Verecunda stood up on shaking legs. "Please excuse the interruption," she whispered as she closed the door.

The first glaive sharply took in some air as he grabbed his shirt. "The poor thing is in for a lecture from the marshall."

The second glaive laughed. "Knowing Domicella, she's probably enjoying it to get scolded."  
"Really?"  
"Oh yeah, she's into it," he suggestively wiggled his eyebrows. "Trust me, I've been with her. She likes to get punished."  
"Fuck, that's hot. Now I'm jealous," the first one replied, and they both laughed. 

While Gladio couldn't deny that Domicella had such a side to her, he wasn't sure if she really enjoyed a serious lecture at work. Even though he felt a bit sorry for her, she has had it coming with that attitude today. Cor had never been fond of the gossip the maids spread all the time. 

Changing into his training clothes, he started his workout. He really had been slacking off lately. Maybe he should train together with the recruits more often instead of just watching them. Furthermore, he really needed to look after his diet again, starting next week. He wouldn't keep his muscles if he kept on eating so much fast food.

After warming up, he fought some training battles with the glaives. It was a nice challenge, and Gladio was proud that he still had it in him, winning against the two of them. 

During his lunch break, he went to Ignis's office, intending to pick him up. Unfortunately, he wasn't there. Knowing that he probably still was busy because of yesterday, Gladio went to the cafeteria alone. 

Choosing chicken curry with rice as his lunch, he searched for a free table or anyone he knew. After scouting the area for a moment, his eyes fell on Domicella, who said alone at a table.

While he was afraid that she would pester him with questions again, he still preferred this option over eating on his own. 

With a smile, he sat down opposite her. "Hi."

The maid was staring into nothingness. Elbow on the table, she had her chin propped up on her left hand while she used the fork in her other hand to push her food from one side of the plate to the other and back.

"He _spanked_ me," Domicella said dreamily, and Gladio was hit by a coughing fit as he choked on his first spoon of rice.  
"What?" he managed to rasp out eventually.

A shudder went through Domicella's whole body. "No one has ever done it with such accuracy like him. Hitting all the best spots _again_ and _again_." She had moaned out the last words.  
"That's-"  
"I might have fallen _in love_ ," she sighed loudly, her cheeks getting red.  
"What?!" Gladio thought he must have misheard that. Domicella had fallen for Cor? Gladio didn't even know where to begin telling her all the reasons why that was a bad idea.

"I don't care that he's twenty years older," the maid said as if she could read his mind. "We are both grown-ups."  
"Domicella-"  
"He enjoyed it as well, I know it. There was this look in his eyes even though he kept up his austere expression."  
"You might have imagined that." Honestly, Gladio had no idea what kind of people Cor was into. As far as he knew, Cor could have been single since decades ago. He couldn't picture someone as grim as the marshall with someone mischievous as Domicella. They were complete opposites. Although that didn't have to be a bad thing. And even though he always looked old and grumpy, he was only forty-three years old. Sometimes Gladio forgot that fact.

"No, I didn't imagine that," Domicella denied. "At first, he had been scolding me about work. But when I said that he should just spank me as a punishment, there was this _sparkle_ in his eyes. And then he used his strong hand to-"  
"I don't want to know!" Gladio exclaimed before she could go into any detail. The people sitting at the table next to them were already giggling.

"It felt so good," she sighed dreamily. "My ass cheeks are still burning."  
"I knew you were submissive, but masochistic as well?" He had spoken quietly.

She hummed in confirmation. "It's difficult to live out that side. Everyone is always worried about hurting me too much. But Cor wasn't. He knew exactly how much I could take while still feeling good about it." She shuddered again.

"Well, that's good for you, I guess." After seeing how happy she was, Gladio had given up about talking her out of it. She was already way too deep in anyway. Or she was only riding on the moment and would have forgotten about it next week.

Another dreamy sigh left Domicella's lips.

It was weird to see her like that, but at least she had forgotten about bombarding him with questions about Levis and the others.

They finished their lunch in silence -except for all the sighs- and Gladio went back to training.

In the late afternoon, he went over to Noctis's apartment. When he entered the living room, the prince and his best friend were sitting on the couch. They both had their phones in their hands as silence filled the room. It didn't need a spy to know that these two hadn't talked since Wednesday.

"Where's Iggy?" Gladio asked as he took a beer from the fridge.  
"He has to work late," Noctis replied at once. "Should we order dinner without him?"  
"No," Gladio immediately abandoned that option. If they ate without him, he probably wouldn't eat at all later. "We'll wait for him."  
"Okay," the prince replied, turning his gaze towards his phone again. Prompto hadn't even looked up.

Gladio took a sip from his beer as he watched Noctis and Prompto on the couch. That couldn't go on like this. Placing his bottle on the coffee table, he crossed his arms. Something had to be done. Noctis was slacking off too much. As Gladio took in his surroundings, it was painfully obvious that Ignis hasn't been here the last few days. Their cereal bowls from Wednesday were still on the coffee table. Dirty dishes were piling up in the sink, the trash hadn't been taken out, and clothes lay on the ground. Gladio probably wasn't the right person to scold Noctis about cleaning up since he wasn't any better most of the time. But he would scold him about messing this up with Prompto. Because _Noctis_ was the one giving his best friend the cold shoulder without any explanation.

"I won't spend the whole evening with you two saying nothing to each other."

Prompto looked like a wounded Chocobo, his lips quivering. "I can leave."  
"No," Gladio said sternly, and the blond sat back down on the couch as fast as he had gotten up. "You'll stay."

Noctis glared at him, but Gladio didn't care about that as he spoke up again. "Is this still about Wednesday?"

He looked at them. Noctis just averted his gaze, pretending to be busy with his phone. Prompto looked from Gladio to Noctis and back. "I," the blond hesitantly spoke up, "I never understood why you left so suddenly."

"I was busy," the prince mentioned the same excuse again.  
"Noct," Gladio reprimanded him sternly, and the prince clicked his tongue. 

"If I've done something wrong, please tell me, Noct," Prompto asked, his voice wavering. "I haven't meant to upset you."

"You didn't do anything wrong," Noctis said, still not looking at the other.

Gladio had to hold back a sigh. His charge could be so stubborn. 

"But then why-" Prompto asked, but Noctis broke him off.  
"Just forget about it."

Gladio felt his eyebrow twitching. Taking a few deep breaths, he tried to calm down. Yelling at Noctis to get his shit together and speak up properly wouldn't help. He knew from experience that the prince would only get more stubborn. 

Silence had once again fallen upon them, and Gladio pondered how to tackle this problem now. He was sure if they just honestly talked to each other, they would make up again. 

Suddenly, there was a snuffling sound. Looking to his left, Gladio saw Prompto biting down on his trembling bottom lip as tears ran down his red cheeks.

"Don't cry," Noctis said, a bit desperate as he finally took down his phone.

"But if I don't know what I've done wrong, I don't know how to avoid it next time," Prompto began babbling, words freely tumbling from his lips just like the tears dropped from his eyes. "I hate that. I don't want to upset you. I've missed talking to you since Wednesday. I've missed texting you before going to sleep and in the morning. I don't want you to be mad at me, I-"

"No, no, no," Noctis chanted as he finally moved his royal ass to the other side of the couch, putting his arms around Prompto. "It's not your fault, Prom."  
"But-" Prompto looked at him, face wet.  
"I've been jealous," Noctis admitted.  
"Huh?"  
"It's stupid, I know. But you never had any other close friends, so I was jealous of Novus and scared that you would leave me because of him."  
"Oh, Noct!" Prompto cried, wrapping his arms around Noctis. "I'd never leave you! You are my best friend!"  
"And you're my best friend," the prince returned.

Gladio sighed. That would have been the perfect chance for them to confess their feelings for each other, but this was fine as well. At least, they had talked about their problem.

Picking up a box of tissues from the living room cupboard, Gladio handed them to Prompto.  
The blond thankfully accepted them and blew his nose.  
Sitting down, Gladio wrapped an arm around him as well. 

For a moment, they all just sat there in silence while Prompto slowly calmed down again and dried his tears. 

"How about a round of King's Knight?" Gladio suggested after a while, already taking out his phone.

"I've tried to play the new event stages yesterday, but my character was too weak on his own," Prompto replied.

"Yeah, same here," Noctis admitted. "Let's try it together."

With combined powers, they won after the first try. By now, they were all laughing again, and Prompto was coming back to his usual cheerful self. 

About an hour later, they finally heard the front door opening as Ignis arrived.   
"If anyone talks about work today, I'll leave at once," the advisor announced, heading straight towards the kitchen. Picking up a watering can, he filled it.  
"But Iggy, I've heard that you were super cool when you-" Prompto broke off as soon as he noticed Ignis's cold stare. 

Disapprovingly Ignis eyed the mess around the flat, yet he didn't scold Noctis for it as he walked from one plant to the next, watering them.

Once he was done, he took a can of Ebony coffee out of the fridge.  
When Prompto's stomach suddenly rumbled loudly, Ignis pulled up an eyebrow. "You haven't eaten yet? I've texted you to order takeout because I would be late, Noct."  
"We've waited for you," Gladio explained before his charge would get into trouble for that.

"Actually, I'm too exhausted to cook," Ignis admitted, and that confession alone proved how drained he was.  
"You don't have to cook," Noctis replied with a frown. "We waited, so we could get food and eat together."  
"Yeah," Prompto confirmed. "What should we order, Iggy?"  
"Whatever you feel like, I'm not hungry anyway," Ignis replied.   
"Did you have lunch?" Gladio asked, but Ignis only set down his can of Ebony, filling the sink with water and dish detergent.

Gladio rolled his eyes at that. Couldn't Ignis rest for once? Knowing there was no way to stop him, Gladio got up to help him. He carried the empty bowls from the coffee table towards the kitchen.

"Thanks," Ignis said with a small smile as he accepted the bowls.  
"Did you?" Gladio repeated, hinting at his previous question, his arms crossed.  
A heavy sigh left the advisor as he stared at him. Averting his gaze, Ignis silently shook his head.   
"It's been a harsh week for you," Gladio mentioned, "let's order something you like."

"Yeah," Prompto replied cheerfully. "Iggy deserves only the best after this stressful week! What should we order? What's your favorite?"  
"As I have said, I am not particularly hungry. You don't have to be considerate of me. Simply order whatever _you_ like," Ignis said humbly.

Gladio rolled his eyes as he took up a towel to dry the dishes Ignis had started to wash.

"What about burger and fries from Kenny's?" Prompto suggested.  
"No," Gladio denied at once. "Iggy doesn't like greasy fast food."

Before the other could protest, Noctis had already spoken up. "Sushi? You like fish, don't you, Iggy?"  
Prompto paled. "Isn't that, like, super expensive?"  
"Who cares?" Noctis shrugged his shoulder. "I'll pay for you all."  
"Noct, you-" Prompto tried to protest, but the prince cut him off.  
"No complaints. I pay for the food on Fridays. Always have, always will. Sushi?"

"I'd like that, yes," Ignis finally admitted, and Noctis smiled. Gladio threw him a thumbs up before he nodded towards the dirty clothes lying on the floor. The prince rolled his eyes but had understood the message.

"I've ordered enough for the four of us," Noctis said as he put down his phone. Next, he stood up from the couch and started to collect his clothes, putting them in the bathroom where his washing machine stood.

"I'll take out the trash!" Prompto announced as he gathered the few remaining empty bags of chips. Picking up the trash bags, he went downstairs.

"You don't have to do this," Ignis whispered, his hands stopping his movements.  
"What? Helping you to clean up a mess you're not even responsible for? Or ordering _your_ favorite food for once instead of letting you cook _our_ favorites all the time?" Gladio asked, his gaze serious.

"Both," Ignis replied eventually, chewing on his bottom lip.  
"Well, I hate to break it to you, Iggy, but that's what friends are doing for each other. We've let you be humble for way too long anyway."  
" _Friends_ , hm?" Ignis repeated, and Gladio didn't know how to interpret the sound of Ignis's voice.

Before he could further question it, though, Noctis had come back from the bathroom.

"Anything else?"  
"You can put these away," Gladio said, holding the dried dishes out for him. 

Since they worked together, the flat was spotless again after no time. Prompto had aired the room and wiped the tables while the others had finished the dishes. 

It didn't take long until their express delivery came, and Noctis placed two large bowls of Sushi on the dining table.

"I've never seen so much Sushi in my life," Prompto whispered in awe. "Can I take a photo?"  
Noctis snorted. "Be quick. I wanna eat."  
The blond got up, taking a few shots with his phone. "Damn, I wish I had my camera with me."

They all chuckled and began to eat. Ignis was a bit hesitant, yet after the first bite, his eyes lit up in appreciation of this delicious food.

"How was your week?" Prompto asked no one in particular.  
"Please spare me," Ignis replied with a sigh.  
"Nothing worth telling," Noctis mumbled as he tried to decide which piece of Sushi he should pick up next.

"Big guy?" Prompto looked at him with expectant eyes. "You're the only one I can count on. Did you have some fun this week?"  
"Fun or _fun_?" He smirked as he mentioned the second option.  
" _Fun_ ," Prompto repeated, his cheeks turning red as he giggled.  
"You sure you wanna hear about this?" Gladio teasingly asked him. "This week was _wild_."  
"Give it to me," Prompto whispered, and Noctis stared at him with an unreadable expression.

"Alright, don't say I haven't warned you." Gladio waited a moment to give him one last chance out, but Prompto only watched him with big eyes. "On Monday, I jerked off to _someone's_ selfie lying on the pictures of a new porn magazine I had bought last week."

Ignis choked on his coffee, coughing loudly. Gladio only continued with a dirty grin.

"On Tuesday, I had phone sex, listening to the most delicious moans ever."

Prompto's jaw dropped.

"On Wednesday, I simply rubbed one off."

Noctis suspiciously looked at him as if he couldn't believe that that was all.

"And yesterday, I read a porn fanfiction with Nyx. While he went to meet with Crowe, I imagined him fucking me while someone else rode me."

" _Oh, my gods!_ " Prompto exclaimed excitedly.   
Ignis's cheeks were red as he chewed on his bottom lip. Gladio had watched his reactions all the time. While Gladio had received the expected surprise about his confession concerning Monday, he was a bit disappointed that Ignis had hidden his face behind his can of Ebony to conceal any reaction concerning the threesome fantasy.

"And today?" Prompto suddenly whispered, cheeks burning up.  
"Nothing yet, but I won't deny that I'm totally needy," Gladio said with a laugh before he grabbed his beer.

He almost dropped his bottle as he suddenly felt Ignis's feet pressing against his own beneath the table. How should he interpret that action right after making that confession? Looking at Ignis's eyes, he was met with a gaze that could only be described as _hungry_.

A faint blush appeared on Ignis's cheeks as he grabbed another piece of Sushi as if nothing had happened. 

Prompto's brain must have been overheating since he didn't say anything anymore as he dreamily chewed on his meal.

And Noctis simply looked indifferent. Gladio frowned since he couldn't make head or tail of it. 

After dinner, they agreed to watch a movie together. As always, Gladio sat down at the corner of Noct's large couch. To his dismay, Prompto secured the place next to him. Noctis followed him, and Ignis sat down next to their prince - far out of Gladio's reach. He sighed. But maybe it was better this way. After all, Gladio felt way too needy again.

"Okay, what do we watch? What are you in the mood for?" Prompto asked, already browsing through Noct's favorite streaming service. 

"Porn," Gladio blurted out honestly.  
Noctis grimaced. " _Ew_ , no!"   
Leaning forward to catch a look at his charge, Gladio smirked teasingly. "Oh, chickening out?"   
"Yeah, chickening out?" Prompto repeated, his cheeks turning beet-red.  
" _You're_ chickening out as well," Noctis retorted  
"Me? N-no," the blond stuttered. "I'm all in!" 

"Let's vote," Gladio suggested with a grin. "Porn or Action movie?"  
Noctis gave him a disapproving look. "What kind of choice is that?"  
"Action movies are so _dull_ ," Ignis mentioned with a sigh.  
Gladio's smirk widened at these words. "Is that a vote for porn?"  
"I vote for porn!" Prompto almost screamed.  
"No porn!" Noctis exclaimed, exchanging glances with his advisor.  
"No porn," Ignis whispered, although he didn't sound that convinced. 

"Well, that's two against two." Gladio grabbed his chin in thought. "What about a love movie?"

He had effectively gained everyone's attention with that.   
Although Prompto frowned. "But porn."  
"There are love movies with some juicy scenes," Gladio explained with a grin.  
Prompto snorted. "You mean when you see the floor next to the bed, and a piece of underwear falls on it before the scene fades out completely?"  
"No," Gladio chuckled. "More than that. You've just gotta find the right movie."

"I wanna watch something like that!" Prompto replied excitedly, looking at the other two men. "Please?"

Noctis was visibly fighting with himself to agree, but apparently, he couldn't go against Prompto's wishes. "Alright."

"Yay!" the blond cheered before he looked at Ignis. "Iggy?"  
"Let's see if we can find anything that looks appealing to all of us."

"Yes! Okay, big guy. You've gotta help me to find the juicy ones between all these kitsch movies."

Gladio looked at the list of movies displayed on the television. Nyx had recommended a few to him, and Gladio had some good recensions as well. "The third one in the second row."

Prompto selected it to read the description and see a larger version of the cover. "Oh, the brunette looks so hot! Look at her huge boobs!"

" _-don't like girls._ " 

It had been nothing but a whisper, yet Gladio immediately turned his head to look at his prince.

Suddenly, the silence was heavy in the room.

"Huh?" Prompto blinked, confused by the silence since he probably hadn't made out Noct's words before.  
"I'm not into girls!" Noctis repeated, much louder this time, his hands balled into fists, his body shaking. Ignis was putting his hands on Noct's shoulders in a comforting gesture. 

By the lack of surprise on Ignis's face, Gladio deduced that he had known about that already. Whereas Gladio had never even noticed. It's not that he had missed Noct's interest in Prompto. But other than that, the prince had never really shown much interest in anyone. Somehow, Gladio had always assumed that Noctis liked men and women but didn't care that much about sex and relationships yet.

"Not at all?" Prompto asked in disbelief, and Noctis flinched, almost curling on himself. 

_Shit._

"Which is _fine_ ," Gladio said determinedly. Ignis smiled at him, thankfully, and the prince took a deep breath.

"Huh? Yeah, it's totally cool," Prompto repeated with a frown. "Sorry if I said something stupid. I was just surprised."

"You," Noctis hesitated, squeezing Ignis's hand that still lay on his shoulder, to gather his courage. "You don't mind?"

"No, I don't mind," Prompto answered, and his eyes darted to their linked hands. "Is there something-"

" _No_ ," Ignis and Noctis said at once, letting go of their hands, putting space between them.

"Oh, okay," Prompto replied, followed by a relieved sigh. Then, he looked back at the television again. "It's a bit difficult for me to comprehend, but I really don't mind, Noct!"

"Why is it difficult?" the prince asked carefully.

"Ah, well, you know, for me," Prompto blushed as he searched for the right words. "I don't know. If I see someone, they either are attractive and sexy to me or not. No matter what gender. Somehow I never cared about that. Not at all. But I know that many people only like certain genders, and that's totally fine! It's probably like everyone has different tastes about food as well. You don't like women, and you don't like carrots. But other people do. Both are fine."

"Did you just compare women with carrots?" Noctis inquired, the corner of his mouth twitching up to a smile.

"Yeah?" Prompto replied, scratching his cheek in embarrassment. 

"Wouldn't women be melons or coconuts?" Gladio asked playfully, cupping his chest to emphasize his bad joke. Ignis rolled his eyes, but Gladio hadn't missed the small smile that had slipped on his lips.  
"I like melons!" Prompto admitted cheerfully.  
"Eh, I'm more of a coconut lover," Gladio mentioned.  
"Nah, the bigger, the better," the blond announced.  
"Oh?" Gladio grinned. "Do you think that about cocks as well? Careful what you answer. Some guys are sensitive about the size of their dick." 

"The bigger, the better," Prompto repeated, his cheeks flushing.  
"I agree," Ignis whispered softly, and the blond turned to stare at him.   
"You-" the blond broke off, but Ignis already nodded at the unspoken question. "Just men or everyone?"  
"Only men," he clarified.

"Okay," Prompto said resolutely, "we've gotta watch a Boys Love movie then." At once, he switched to that section to browse through the available movies.

It was subtle, but Gladio didn't miss how _tense_ Noctis still was. That was enough to give him a hunch, but the way Ignis chewed on his bottom lip confirmed his suspicion. 

Placing his hand on Prompto's to get his attention and stop the blond from browsing through the movie section, he looked at the prince. "There's more to it, isn't there?"

When Noctis flinched, feeling caught, Prompto turned his head to give his best friend his full attention again. "Yeah?"

"Noct," Ignis said softly, a hand on the prince's back. "Why don't you tell-"  
"No one is _forcing_ you to say anything," Gladio interrupted him at once. "But you don't have to fear anything. We will accept and support you, no matter what. Right, blondie?"

"Of course," Prompto confirmed, nodding eagerly.

"Even if it's something you're not sure about yet," Gladio added since he had a hunch about which direction they were going in. "Sometimes, it helps to talk about it with someone else. And it's not like anything you say now has to stay that way forever."

"Meaning?" Noctis asked, voice quiet.

"Well, with all these labels today, it's difficult to keep up. And even if I'm calling myself bisexual today, there's no guarantee it will stay like that forever. Maybe one day, I will realize that my attraction to someone doesn't have anything to do with their gender, or that I simply love all genders."

"Pansexual," Prompto suddenly spoke up, "like me!"

"Yeah," Gladio confirmed with a chuckle. "Sometimes, preferences change, or we only realize it later."

Noctis turned his gaze towards Ignis, who nodded at him in encouragement.

"I might be demisexual," the prince confessed eventually with a whisper.

_Ah._ Now that Gladio knew it, it made sense, and he was wondering why he hadn't noticed sooner.

"Uhm, okay," the blond replied, "but you need to fill me in on that one. Never heard of it."

Ignis took it upon him to answer. "People who are demisexual only experience sexual attraction towards people they share a deep emotional bond with."

"I'm not even sure if that's it," Noctis sighed, shaking his head, his voice exhausted. "I don't think I would be sexually attracted to a woman even if I shared an emotional bond with her. Also, there is gray sexuality and all these variations of asexuality, but demi sounds closest to the truth. I think, but I don't know for sure. It's been giving me a headache - these last days more than ever before."

"Does it bother you when I talk about sex and masturbation?" Gladio asked first and foremost because that honestly was his biggest worry right now.

Noctis sheepishly looked at him before he averted his gaze again. "Most of the time not, since you aren't going into detail."

"Are you-" Prompto stopped, hesitantly.  
Ignis smiled at the blond. "It's okay to ask questions, Prompto."  
Noctis nodded in confirmation.  
"Are you interested in sex?" Prompto asked, more questions tumbling from his lips now that he had started. "Do you watch porn? Are you masturbating? Oh my gods, sorry. I'm asking too many questions, but is this just so exciting and interesting!"

Noctis blinked at his best friend before he burst out laughing. "I've been scared for weeks to tell you cause I thought you would find me weird, but it's _exciting and interesting_?!"

While Gladio was glad that they were finally openly talking about it all now, he couldn't help but feel like he had failed as a friend. "I'm sorry that we gave off the vibe like you couldn't talk to us about that."

Noct's eyes widened in surprise. "No, no. I didn't mean it like that. It's just-" he broke off, ruffling his hair. "I'm still not sure about it. That's why I've only talked with Iggy so far."

"Alright," Gladio replied with a small smile. 

As Prompto was nervously hugging his knees, swaying left and right, Noctis laughed. "Yeah, yeah. I haven't forgotten about your questions. Um, let's see." He cleared his throat. "Sometimes I'm interested in porn. Although I like it more when there's a story involved. If there is no story but only hardcore porn, it's almost repulsive to me. Also, how do I explain this? When I'm bored and I watch porn, it doesn't really do anything for me. But when I'm a bit aroused and watch porn, it keeps me going."

"So, like," Prompto licked his lips, "if you are not in the mood and watch porn, you won't get a boner?"  
"Most of the time not, no."  
"Oh, man! No awkward boners for you, nice!"  
Noctis laughed again. "You really only see the good points of this, don't you?"

Prompto frowned. "Huh? What are the bad points? Okay, no hardcore porn for you, but besides from that," he shrugged his shoulders, "everyone has his no-goes."  
"Well, I," Noctis cleared his throat. "My sex drive isn't as high as other people's. I'm not in the mood every day. With how obsessed everyone else is with sex, it seems impossible to find a relationship."  
Prompto crossed his arms, thinking really hard. "I don't think that would be a problem."  
"Huh?" Noctis blushed.  
"If someone really loved you, that wouldn't change just because you aren't up for sex every day."  
"Yeah?"  
"Yeah," Prompto confirmed with a decisive nod. "And if you shared a deep emotional bond with that person, you would at least be up to have sex _sometimes_ , right?"  
"Can't guarantee it, but I'd like to try it," Noctis confessed.

They both blushed and stared at each other. 

Gladio was so close to shoving Prompto forwards, hoping his lips would collide with Noct's, but he held back. If these two _still_ needed time to realize their feelings for each other, they were beyond help. 

Unsure what to do, Gladio looked at Ignis. The advisor just shrugged his shoulder, an exhausted smile on his lips. 

At least, Noctis had finally spoken up about this. Gladio was sure that this had been weighing on him and Ignis for quite some while now.

"How is your mood today?" Prompto suddenly asked.  
"What do you mean?" Noctis returned warily.  
"Are you up for a kitschy Boys Love movie with sex scenes?"  
"If-" Noctis looked at Prompto before he shyly averted his gaze. Only to look at him again a second later. "If I have someone or something to cuddle with, yes."

"Cuddle time!" Prompto exclaimed, grabbing two blankets from the couch. They were the same ones Noctis had been wrapped into the day before yesterday. Throwing one blanket at Gladio, Prompto used the other to wrap it around himself and Noctis. The blonde rested his head on Noct's shoulder. "Blankets are perfect for cuddling!"

Smelling his chance, Gladio went for it. "I wanna cuddle as well. Come here, Iggy."  
The advisor snorted, but to everyone's surprise, he got up anyway, walking over to the corner of the couch where Gladio sat. 

While Gladio's left foot was planted on the ground, he had his right leg outstretched on the unoccupied side of the couch, his arms lying on the backrest. Just as he wanted to scoot over, Ignis sat down right _between_ his legs. Leaning back, Ignis rested against Gladio's upper body, his head lying somewhere between Gladio's shoulder and chest.

Holding his breath, Gladio didn't even believe that this was happening. Ever so slowly, he pulled the blanket up and wrapped his arms around Ignis. He felt so warm.

"Perfect!" Prompto announced as he browsed through the movie section. "Which one, big guy?"

Taking a deep breath, Gladio tried to focus on the television and not on Ignis's hot body pressing against his own. He looked at the list of different movies, but he couldn't remember which one he had heard about before.

"Give me a second," he requested. Taking out his phone, he called Nyx.

"You usually don't call on Friday nights," Nyx yelled into the phone, and Gladio heard loud music in the background. The other must have gone out to party tonight.  
"Nyx, quick," Gladio said. "A Boys Love movie with a decent story, sweet love scenes, and hot sex."  
His best friend chuckled. "Is that a test of knowledge? _Omnia Optata_."  
"You're the best."  
"I know. Have fun."  
"You too," Gladio replied and ended the call before he looked at Prompto. "Omnia Optata."

"Alrighty," the blond exclaimed as he typed the title into the search bar. The cover looked nice, and the description sounded promising. 

Turning off the lights, they started the movie. 

It was about two guys meeting at a coffee shop and slowly falling in love. The blond was an art student, the redhead was the singer of a small band. They both had part-time jobs and were really busy, but they regularly met at the coffee shop. Creativity and tenacity united them as they slowly fell in love with each other.

Gladio had to admit that the redhead had a beautiful voice. When he sang a love song he had written for the blond, Prompto turned up the volume, and they all listened in awe. Gladio hugged Ignis just a bit tighter. 

Ignis had his left hand on Gladio's arms and the other on Gladio's right thigh. 

Gladio felt hot. Not only because he was a living furnace by nature, but also because he was trapped beneath a thick blanket together with his love interest.

When the movie's scene switched to the redhead sitting on his bed while his song was still playing in the background, Gladio realized he had a problem. Ignis was lying right on his groin.

And the thin fabric of Gladio's loose track pants wouldn't help in any way to hide an upcoming erection. 

Prompto was already squirming when the redhead pulled up his shirt and touched his chest. The movie was portraying it in a really aesthetic way. The music kept playing as the redhead started to _moan_. 

Gladio took in a sharp breath. _Fuck._ Those sounds were totally doing it for him. He was fighting against it, but when Ignis suddenly started to let his right hand travel up and down Gladio's thigh, he felt his dick stirring in his pants, poking right against Ignis's lower back.

"Sorry," he whispered so quietly that he wasn't even sure if he had been heard. Ignis shifted a bit to adjust his position, and Gladio held his breath. Once the other had settled, the scene of the movie had already switched again. Gladio let out a relieved sigh.

Next, the movie followed some ups and downs: sweet dates, quarrels between the band members, shared kisses, pressure before an upcoming art test.

"Oh my gods," Prompto whispered in anticipation as the main characters both admitted that they had bought lube and condoms. They started to make out, and the redhead was moaning even sweeter than before.

Immediately, Gladio felt his dick coming back to life. Once again, Ignis adjusted his position, his lower back rubbing against Gladio in the process. Squeezing his eyes shut, he held his breath. Usually, Ignis wasn't this restless.

With closed eyes, Gladio focused even more on the sounds coming from the television. That made him even hornier. 

Opening his eyes again, he witnessed the blond wrapping his mouth around the redhead's erection. Involuntarily, Gladio's hips twitched.

As Ignis freed himself from his hug, Gladio already feared the worse. But the advisor simply got up to reach for his can of Ebony. After he had taken a sip, he sat back down on the couch again. This time, however, he didn't settle between Gladio's legs but next to him. Hoping that he hadn't scared the other away completely, Gladio put his left arm around Ignis. The advisor leaned into his touch, pulling his left leg up on the couch while his right hand fell back to Gladio's thigh - his left one this time.

Gladio pulled up his right leg. Together with Ignis's pulled up leg, the blanket made a nice tent, shielding Gladio's erection from anyone's view. Not that Noctis and Prompto were paying them any attention with their eyes glued to the screen, or could see much in the otherwise dark room.

Relieved, Gladio put his focus back on the movie as well.

Until he suddenly felt Ignis's right hand traveling up his thigh.

_No way._

Gladio held his breath as Ignis's hand left him for a moment, only to come to rest on his stomach next. A stuttered breath left Gladio's lips. Where had his thoughts been wandering just now? As if Iggy would ever-

His eyes widened in surprise as he felt Ignis's hand slowly traveling lower. Gladio flicked a glance at Ignis, but the other was only watching the movie, expression unreadable. Tentatively, Gladio let his left hand travel down from Ignis's shoulder, getting closer to his chest. 

Suddenly, Ignis looked at him with a stern gaze. With a shake of his head, he grabbed Gladio's hand and put it back on his shoulder. 

Wordlessly, Ignis turned his gaze towards the movie again.

Okay, Gladio had gotten the message. He wasn't allowed to move his hand anywhere else. Ignis's hand went back to rest on Gladio's thigh, and by now, he was sure that his mind had just been playing tricks on him. Ignis was only adjusting his position from time to time, nothing more. Exhaustion probably made him a bit more restless than usual.

The blowjob scene was over now, and the movie went back to more drama. That was the perfect opportunity for Gladio to get his libido back under control. 

He managed to calm down a bit, and for a moment, he was afraid that the movie wouldn't have a happy end, but eventually, things started to turn for the better again. The blond had won the first prize at an art exhibition with a picture of his lover. And the redhead had written another love song that was getting more and more popular. 

Once again, they went to bed together. They still hadn't done it all the way, but Gladio was sure it would happen now. The new song of the redhead was playing in the background. It really was beautiful. Once more, Prompto turned up the volume. 

As the protagonists began to make out again, mumbling sweet promises to each other, moans tumbling from their lips as things were heating up between them, Gladio felt his dick stirring again. As an especially deep and loud moan slipped from the redhead's lips, Gladio's whole body twitched once.

Breathing out, he tried to calm down. It worked until suddenly, Ignis moved his hand further up his thigh again. 

This time, however, it didn't stop at Gladio's stomach but on his dick. 

At once, Gladio slapped his right hand against his mouth to muffle any sounds slipping from his lips.

Ignis had his eyes on the television, his breathing slightly elaborated. Even in the darkness of the room, Gladio noticed the blush on Ignis's cheeks as long slim fingers tentatively traced the outline of his erection through his pants.

Gladio was so done for.

Never had he even dared to dream that Ignis would make such a bold move. 

While the protagonists of the movie got more and more out of breath, Gladio tried his best to keep his breathing calm and even. The last thing he wanted was for Noctis and Prompto to notice what was happening next to them. Because Ignis wouldn't be bold enough to keep going then. No way.

Although Gladio didn't know where _this_ was going now either. The way Ignis's hand softly traced over his pants was nothing but sweet torture. 

Suddenly Ignis looked at him, an unspoken question on his face. Gladio's brain was too out of order to have any idea what the other could mean, but he desperately nodded anyway. Ignis turned his gaze back to the movie again.

Ever so slowly, curious fingers moved up a bit. Stroking over Gladio's stomach, they slowly traveled lower until they slipped beneath his track pants.

Gladio took in a sharp breath as he felt Ignis hot hand closer on his erection, only separated by the thin fabric of his boxer briefs. His hips jerked up, and Ignis gripped him as well as possible through his underwear.

Arousal was rushing through Gladio's whole body. If he hadn't been rockhard before, he definitely was now. Slowly, he shifted his hips back and forth. Ignis got the message and started to move his hand up and down Gladio's length. 

It was so hot. 

With every stroke, Ignis seemed to gain more confidence. His thumb was starting to circle the head, and Gladio felt precum leaking out, making a wet spot. His hips were jerking up, desperately trying to get more of this exploratory touch.

When Ignis suddenly used his fingernails to stroke over his whole length -not strong enough to hurt, just lightly- Gladio bit down on his right hand.

By now, he couldn't even concentrate on the movie anymore. The whole universe had come down to Ignis's hand in his pants, squeezing him once again.

Leaning his head back, Gladio didn't even try to still his squirming hips any longer. It was getting more difficult to stifle his moans, and while it felt so good, he was needy and impatient.

With his left hand still resting on Ignis's shoulder, he tapped him to get his attention. Sheepishly, Ignis looked at him out of the corner of his eye. In desperation, Gladio only nodded at him franticly in reference to Ignis's previous unspoken question.

Biting his bottom lip, the blush on Ignis's face spread up to his ears. His right hand had stilled as his eyes traveled back to the screen.

The next seconds felt agonizingly long, and Gladio feared he might have pushed the other too far.

Suddenly, Ignis's left hand pushed Gladio's hand away from his shoulder and on the backrest instead, handing him the corner of the blanket. Gladio had no idea what was going on, but he held onto the blanket like a lifeline. 

Ignis slid down on the couch until even his nose was hidden beneath the blanket. His left foot was still up on the couch. 

When Gladio heard the faint sound of a zipper getting opened, he realized that he had no idea what Ignis had been doing with his _left_ hand the whole time. 

His thoughts stopped when he felt the swift fingertips of Ignis's right hand slipping beneath the hem of his underwear. 

Gladio tensed in anticipation, balling his left hand in the blanket. All the while, he pressed his right hand against his mouth. 

He was so hot that he was afraid he might explode as soon as Ignis directly touched his erection. Ignis let his fingers travel along Gladio's hipline, and Gladio gulped back a moan. He was so aroused.

"Oh man, that movie was amazing!" Prompto suddenly exclaimed, and Gladio froze in shock as the lights went back on. Even the credits had already finished.

Ignis had pulled his hand back completely, but he kept leaning against Gladio's side, his head awkwardly resting just below Gladio's shoulder. The blanket was still pulled up over his nose.

"It was nice," Noctis replied, and Gladio was starting to panic. He didn't want this to be over. Couldn't they just watch another movie, so Ignis would continue his explorations?

"Man, I'm beat," Prompto exclaimed. "Let's call it a night."

_Fuck, fuck, fuck!_

While Gladio wasn't embarrassed to have a boner after watching this movie, he was pretty sure that Ignis would be. Furthermore, if his mind hadn't been playing tricks on him, Ignis had undone his belt and opened his fly. And the advisor sure as hell wouldn't want to explain that to Prompto and the prince. But what could he do? Gladio couldn't think straight. It felt like all of his blood had left his brain and gone to his erection.

His painfully hard erection that hadn't died down yet.

How could he still be so horny while he was panicking at the same time?

" _Oh_ ," Prompto suddenly cooed in awe. "Iggy has fallen asleep."

Slowly, Gladio let his gaze wander down. Ignis had his eyes closed, but his breathing wasn't calm enough for him to be asleep. Fortunately, Prompto didn't notice.

"Let him rest for a bit," Gladio whispered. "He had a busy week."

Since Ignis was still leaning against him, that gave Gladio the perfect excuse to keep sitting as well.

"Alright, I'll leave now. Good night, guys," Prompto whispered.  
"Night," Gladio whispered back.

For a moment, he was wondering if Prompto was in such a hurry to leave because he wanted to get home and jerk off. 

"I'll walk you to the entrance door," Noctis said, following Prompto out of the living room, closing the door behind him.

Gladio let out a deep breath. 

"Is it possible to die from embarrassment?" Ignis mumbled beneath the blanket.

"Hopefully not," Gladio replied with a desperate chuckle.

"My apologies," Ignis said, and Gladio heard his zipper and belt closing.  
"You've got nothing to apologize for, Iggy. It's not your fault that this _fucking_ yet lovely movie ended just a few minutes too soon," Gladio cursed.

"Agreed," Ignis whispered as he pulled up his other leg as well, resting his forehead against his knees. The blanket was still covering their laps.

Gladio raked his fingers through his hair before he lay his head on the backrest. He needed to calm down.

Noctis came back to the living room, uncertainty on his face. "Are you okay?"  
"Don't ask," they answered in unison.   
The prince fidgeted with the hem of his shirt for a moment, unsure of what to do next. "Well, then. I'll go to sleep now. You can stay or-"

"No, I'll go home," Ignis replied at once, looking to his charge. "I really need my own bed to catch up on sleep after this week."  
"Oh, okay," Noctis replied.  
"Just give me a minute," Ignis mumbled, resting his forehead against his knees again.  
"Sure," Noctis agreed as he kept standing in the door frame for another few seconds. "Stay as long as you need. I'm going to bed. Good night."  
"Good night, Noct," Ignis replied softly.  
"Night," Gladio said.

Silence settled between them once more. Gladio was seriously pondering if he should just excuse himself to go to the bathroom and quickly rub one off. Then, however, he realized that they were alone now, maybe-

"I'm _so exhausted_ ," Ignis said with a shaky breath, and Gladio felt his heart clench. How could he think with his dick while Ignis was so tired?  
"You really should get home and sleep," Gladio said softly.

"I would be ashamed of myself to leave you behind like that," Ignis confessed with a whisper. Taking a deep breath, Gladio tried to be reasonable.  
"You don't have to. I can manage. Besides, we'll see each other again tomorrow, right?" As he realized what he had just suggested, Gladio quickly added, "not that I'm expecting anything, I just meant-"

Ignis chuckled. "Tomorrow at noon?"  
"I'll be there," Gladio confirmed.

After taking a deep breath, Ignis finally pulled off the blanket and stood up. "Will you spend the night here?"  
"No, I'll go home as well," Gladio answered as he followed Ignis to the entrance hall.

In silence, they put on their shoes and left the flat. Ignis made sure to lock the door from the outside, and together they walked to the elevator. Once inside, Gladio felt the tension between them again. His whole being longed to reach out for Ignis, but he held back. 

Not now.

Tomorrow.

As they reached the underground parking and said their goodbyes, Gladio got into his car and drove home. He was glad that he had for once come by car and not by train. He really wasn't in the mood to see other couples making out in the subway at this hour of the night.

When he got home, he noticed that the lights were still on. Opening the front door, he went inside, only to hear voices from the living room.

"Clarus, _you bad boy_. Where are you touching?" Regis chuckled.  
"Only where you _want_ me to touch," Clarus returned hoarsely.   
" _Oh my-_ " Regis exclaimed with a moan.

_Just great._

Taking a deep breath, Gladio weighed his options. He could loudly announce his presence, hoping they would be decent enough to stop for a moment. Or he could just try to sneak past them, hoping they were too distracted to notice him. 

Why weren't they doing this in the bedroom anyway? And why were the stairs right next to the couch of their open-space living room? There was no way Gladio could sneak by them to get to his room upstairs.

He tried to anyway - and failed.

He hadn't even made it to the stairs as his father already called out to him.  
"Gladiolus." Clarus got up from the couch, walking a few steps towards him. "We've been talking."

"Since when do you get hickeys on your naked chest while you're _talking_?" Gladio asked with his arms crossed. He wouldn't admit that he was jealous because his make-out session on the couch had been over before it had even begun.

Regis chuckled in amusement, but Gladio hadn't missed how the older man had pulled a pillow over his -thankfully still clothed- lap to hide an erection Gladio didn't even want to see on _his king_. 

Ignoring his son's comment, Clarus continued to talk. "After everything that Ignis had told us last week, Regis and I wanted to have a great family dinner, with Noctis and Ignis as well."

Gladio's eyes widened in surprise. Actually, that was a brilliant idea. Even though he didn't admit it very often, Noctis always wanted to spend more time with his father. And Ignis had mentioned that, although Regis was like a father to him, they never had eaten together. "Alright."

Clarus smiled. "Since Jared is feeling better again, we had thought about tomorrow evening."  
"Oh," Gladio said, unable to hide his disappointment. "I wanted to visit Iggy tomorrow."  
"Right, I forgot," Clarus admitted.

Regis smiled at them. "That's no problem. We will postpone our dinner to next weekend."  
"Are you sure?" Gladio asked since he knew just how busy the king was even on the weekend.  
"Yes, Gladiolus," Regis replied softly. "Visit Ignis tomorrow. We will manage to reschedule."  
"Thanks." Gladio smiled at him.  
"You're welcome."

"Now that that is settled," Clarus said with a grin as he turned around and sat down in Regis's lap. "Back to the good stuff."

"At least wait 'til I'm upstairs," Gladio exclaimed, already running up.

He heard the two lovers chuckling behind him.

On his way home, Gladio had been convinced that he would masturbate as soon as he got to his bed. But that talk had somehow killed his mood.

After entering his room, he took off his clothes and lay down in bed. He would shower tomorrow morning. When Gladio put out his phone to set his alarm, he noticed a text message from his best friend. Quickly, he replied.

Nyx:  
 _Don't mess this up tomorrow._

Gladio:  
 _You could trust me some more._

Nyx:  
 _I do, I do. Have fun._

Gladio:  
 _I will, thanks._

Nyx:  
 _And text or call me once you get back home._

Gladio:  
 _Promised._

Putting his phone on the nightstand, Gladio closed his eyes. Even though he tried to sleep, his thoughts kept drifting back to Ignis and how his swift fingers had sneaked beneath his pants.

A desperate chuckle left his lips. Okay, the mood was back. Maybe he would masturbate after all.


	19. 14.6. [Saturday] - You're worth it

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is the chapter you've all been waiting for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've designed Ignis's flat and I'm almost jealous of it. [Please click here to take a look.](https://twitter.com/SophiaHoppia/status/1345914043870158848/)
> 
> [And this video was my inspiration for Ignis's dance.](https://youtu.be/3HIiP3ZAWMY)

For once, Gladio was eager to get up when his alarm rang on Saturday. It's not that he wasn't tired, but he was looking forward to this day enough to ignore his fatigue.

Getting out of bed, he stretched his sore limbs. A groan slipped from his lips as he noticed how sore his muscles were. That's what he got for training the whole day yesterday after slacking off for so long. 

Walking over to his wardrobe, Gladio realized that he had no idea what to wear. They were only meeting at home, so he didn't have to dress up. Yet then again, this felt like a date, so he couldn't just wear anything casual. Although he had done that last Saturday as well. Grimacing, he remembered opening the front door in his underwear last week. He needed to make up for that.

His eyes fell on the loose black leather pants he had worn two weeks ago when they had gone to Cervisia's bar. They were comfortable enough yet still fashionable. 

Suddenly, memories of last night came to Gladio's mind. Long, swift fingers tentatively exploring his lower regions. 

Maybe he should wear something that promised easier access. His eyes traveled over his different pants until they came to a rest on his new summer pants. While they were long-legged, they were made out of beige light Linen fabric and had an elastic waistband with an additional drawstring.

Perfect.

Before he could overthink the choice of his shirt, he simply picked up a tight-fitting sleeveless black muscle shirt. After all, he liked to show off his muscles.

With his choice of clothes in hand, he went to the bathroom. After showering, he put on some perfume and combed his hair back. Putting on his outfit, he watched his reflection in the mirror.

Everything was looking good. 

With a smile, he went down the stairs. Jared greeted him, and Gladio was so happy to see him again that he gave him a quick hug. He lazily enjoyed a late breakfast while Jared told him that he was still impressed by Ignis's Kupoberry Cheesecake. Gladio couldn't help but smile as the butler humbly asked if Ignis would soon be visiting again so that he could ask for some cooking advice and recipes.

After breakfast, he played cards with his sister for about an hour. And then he finally got on his way to Ignis's flat. 

The closer he got, the more nervous he felt. This week had been going well so far. Gladio really hoped that after this date, he could finally honestly call Ignis his _lover_.

His heart was beating fast as he finally stood in front of Ignis's flat and rang the doorbell.

He didn't have to wait long until the front door opened, and Ignis greeted him with a smile. "Hello, Gladiolus."  
"Hi," he replied as he took his first step inside. It felt like a milestone. How many years had he waited to visit Ignis at home?

Looking at Ignis, Gladio was glad to see that the dark circles under his eyes were as good as gone. Furthermore, Ignis was looking magnificent. He had his hair styled up again and was wearing the same pastel-green dress shirt he had worn at Cervisia's bar, the two upmost buttons undone to reveal his skull-pendant necklace. To his delight, he hadn't put it into his pants either this time. Instead, it hung loosely on his body, ending right beneath the curve of his ass. His legs were dressed in what Gladio recognized as Ignis's tight black leggings he usually wore for training. All in all, the outfit was a perfect combination of stylish and casual - just sexy.

"Do you want some slippers?" Ignis asked, pulling him out of his thoughts. Only now did Gladio realize that Ignis was only wearing black socks without slippers or any kind of shoes.  
"If _you're_ not wearing them, I don't need any either," he replied.  
"Oh, I forgot," Ignis mentioned, already walking to the shoe cabinet on the left.  
"Iggy, please. If you usually don't wear them at home, you don't have to do so because of me," Gladio explained.  
"Alright." With a smile, Ignis turned around, and Gladio followed after him.

They entered a big open-space room with a wide window wall leading to a balcony that must be even bigger than Noct's.  
"Wow," Gladio exclaimed in surprise as he took a look around. "This place is huge."

"It is," Ignis replied with a sigh. "His majesty had insisted on it."

Of course, he had. Someone humble as Ignis would never have chosen such a flat on his own. On the right wall were some plants and a dining table with four chairs. Next to it was a large kitchen corner with a high counter -and bar stools- parallel to the window wall. In the corner, between the kitchen and the balcony, stood a work desk. 

On the left side, after entering the room, was a hallway that led to other rooms. In the corner, next to the window wall, were some bookshelves, a TV, a black armchair, and a black couch with a glass coffee table.

Thanks to the white walls, the parquet floor, and the sun shining through the windows, the whole room was well illuminated.

"Make yourself at home," Ignis said as he walked over to his kitchen corner. "Would you like a cup of coffee as well? Or something else?"

"Coffee is fine," Gladio replied as he sat down on the black couch. It was smaller than the ones his family had at home but big enough for two people. 

Laying an arm on the backrest, Gladio turned around to observe Ignis in the kitchen. Something about Ignis was different today. He looked relaxed as he stood in front of his coffee machine, shifting from one leg to the other, the dress shirt moving just the tiniest bit up on his ass cheeks.

That outfit was way too sexy.

"Milk and sugar, right?" Ignis asked, knowing full well how Gladio liked to drink his coffee.  
"Yeah."

Feeling as if Ignis had caught him watching, Gladio turned his gaze back around. He loved how the bookshelves were right next to the television. That way, he could get a good look at them from his position on the couch.

When Ignis returned, he placed a coffee cup with a saucer on the coffee table in front of Gladio. "Thanks."

Gladio was a bit disappointed when Ignis went to the black armchair instead of joining him on the couch. With his own coffee cup in the right hand and the saucer in the left, Ignis sat down, gracefully putting both of his legs up, feet on the seat.

"You are _so_ relaxed today," Gladio uttered without thinking.  
"Well, somehow I managed to _-literally-_ survive this week, and now I am at home drinking coffee," Ignis replied, pulling up an eyebrow. "What did you expect?"

Putting it like that, the other was right. Gladio laughed. "Sorry, I hadn't meant it offensively. I was just surprised." It was soothing to see him relax, especially after this turbulent week.  
"No offense taken," Ignis answered before he blew on his hot coffee and took the first sip. "How was your morning?"

"Good," Gladio replied. "I made sure to get up early enough to put on some pants this time!"  
Ignis chuckled. "I appreciate the effort."  
"I also played some card games with Iris. It had started peacefully. But in the end, we yelled and simply _threw_ the cards at each other." Gladio sighed, and Ignis chuckled once more. "How was your morning?"

"Not quite as energetic," Ignis said with a smile as he took another sip of his coffee. "I finished some work documents that I couldn't handle during the week due to all these commotions, and then I went grocery shopping."  
"It's impressive how you even find the motivation to work on the weekends."  
"I'm used to it."

Just as Gladio pondered if he should remind the other to take some breaks as well, his phone signaled an incoming message. Taking it out of his pocket, he looked at the name. "Ah, sorry. That's Noct."  
"I hope nothing has happened," Ignis returned.  
"If something had happened, he wouldn't message me but call you."

Unlocking his phone, Gladio read the text message and replied.

Noctis:  
_Thanks for yesterday._  
_It really helped to talk about it._

Gladio:  
_Anytime, Noct._

"He just thanked me for yesterday," Gladio explained with a small smile as he put his phone away again. 

A small sigh left Ignis's lips. "I am relieved that he finally decided to confide in you about this matter."

"Yeah," Gladio leaned forward to pick up his coffee cup. "Sometimes I don't get it why you are all so hesitant about talking about this kind of stuff."  
"It is not something that can be easily addressed at any time."

After taking a sip from his coffee, which had the perfect amount of sugar and milk in it, Gladio placed the cup back on the saucer on the coffee table. "It is. You just have to ask or start talking."

"Just like that?" Ignis repeated with his eyebrow pulled up. Now that he had settled on his new hairstyle that showed more of his forehead, Gladio got an unobstructed view of these filigree eyebrows. "Aren't the mood and the timing important as well?"

Leaning against the backrest of the couch, Gladio crossed his arms. "Not as much as you guys always think. If you have a question, just blurt it out."

"Do people still use sex toys once they are in a relationship?" Ignis took a sip as if he tried to hide behind his coffee cup. "There. I have _blurted it out_."

With a smirk, Gladio crossed his legs as he put his left arm on the backrest. "If they are into it, sure. Why not? You can use them to spice things up or for a pace of change. When you can't see each other for a while for whatever reason, it's also convenient. Like, when you're masturbating on your own - or during phone sex."

A thoughtful hum tumbled from Ignis's lips as he took another sip from his coffee. "I have always wondered how different it feels."

"What feels different?" Gladio inquired.  
"How using a toy feels different from getting taken by a real-" Ignis broke off, making a vague gesture with his hand.  
"A real cock? A dick? A penis?" Gladio suggested with a laugh. "Why is everyone so embarrassed to say it?"  
"Maybe because they didn't grow up in your household."

Gladio grimaced. "Iris had a phase not too long ago where she would point at every longish object -no matter how thick or thin- and call it a penis."  
"See?" Ignis replied with a smile. "I never had a little sister that kept saying penis all day long."

"Oh my gods, you've said it! I'm proud of you!" Gladio grinned as he noticed the blush spreading on Ignis's cheeks. "As for your question: It's difficult to describe. A cock feels hotter than a toy. It's hard, yet it still kinda adjusts? I don't know how to describe it. Anyway, it's more about being with someone else, riling each other up, pleasuring your partner, knowing someone shares these amazing feelings with you. But I've gotta admit that vibrations do feel nice as well."

"I see," Ignis replied, expression unreadable.

"Lemme ask you something as well," Gladio blurted out. "Why did you never sleep with a man? I'm sure you had options."

"It's complicated," Ignis answered vaguely, and he rested the coffee cup and saucer on his knees.   
"Try to explain it," Gladio suggested, and Ignis chewed on his bottom lip, uncertainty in his green eyes. With his feet still up on the seat, Gladio could see Ignis nervously wiggling his toes. "I promise I won't make fun of you. And I won't interrupt you until you're done."

A sigh left thin lips. "On the one hand, I wanted to sleep with a man, yet, on the other hand, I wasn't ready for it. It's not like I regret my first time with Crowe. After all, it made me realize that I'm really not into women. And afterwards, I _have_ thought about doing it with a man next."

Ignis paused to take a sip from his coffee, and Gladio already felt like prompting him to continue. But he would be patient since he had promised not to interrupt him.

"I tried to go out, but loud music and drunk people didn't do it for me. And you don't get to know new people when you just sit in a coffee shop and read a book."

The resignation was hearable in Ignis's voice. Gladio knew that the other didn't make new acquaintances as easy as he did.

"And while I had trouble _finding_ anyone, I realized that I didn't even _want_ just anyone."

Gladio frowned but stayed quiet and listened.

"I wanted someone _special_. I wanted my first time with a man to _be_ special. Yet in the end," Ignis sighed. " _I_ only wanted to be special."

Gladio could understand where the other was coming from. He knew that not everyone could strictly separate sex and love. And many people wished for their first time to be unique. Gladio hadn't thought much different before his first time with Nyx.

Ignis's voice was quivering a bit as he continued. "For once in my life, I wanted to be treasured, _loved_. Since forever ago, I have longed for that unconditional love that romance novels tell us about." A desperate laugh tumbled from his lips. "Although I don't even know what love feels like."  
  
Silence hung heavy between them as Ignis took another sip from his coffee. Gladio just stared at him as he waited for an elaboration on that last statement. Even if Ignis hadn't yet had a romantic relationship, the other should know what love feels like.

"My parents died when I was still young. I hardly remember them at all. My uncle was my only living relative then. He never wanted children, but it would have made a bad impression if he had sent me to an orphanage. So he took me in to keep up appearances. _Every day_ he told me I'd better be grateful for his generosity. Every moment he instructed me to show nothing but perfection. He scolded me when I took too long to do the housework or messed anything up. Yet he _never_ said anything when I did it _right_. To him, it didn't matter at all how I _felt_. It only mattered that I _functioned_."

Gladio had his fists balled in anger. Just a few sentences explained so much: Why Ignis always worked himself to death, why he aimed at perfection in everything he did, why he was reacting so strongly to praise. He had never _received_ any praise, so he never had learned how to accept it, which had turned him into this humble man.

"I never managed to make friends at school. Being quiet, rather intelligent, and more mature, I was the odd one out from day one. Diligent as I was, I spent every afternoon after school at the Citadel or with the prince. I realized too late that this only widened the gap between my classmates and me."

That part sounded familiar to Gladio. While he, at least, still hung out with classmates, none of them were real friends, just acquaintances. They couldn't comprehend what it meant to be in service of the Crown. 

"I tried to connect with colleagues at work, but I soon realized that no one was interested in becoming acquainted with Ignis Scientia. They all only longed to get closer to _the royal advisor_ \- to gain information or influence. That realization had hurt," Ignis admitted with a painful expression.

Although Gladio didn't know who exactly Ignis was talking about, he knew that people like that existed at the Citadel, especially in the council. When he remembered what had happened this week, maybe it was a good thing that Ignis hadn't gotten close to any of them.

"At some point, people began calling me _cold as ice_ and _unapproachable_. I know that part of it is my own fault. Without realizing it, I had put up invisible walls around me, letting no one close." Ignis's green eyes were overcome by a shadow of sadness. "But at the same time, no one ever _wanted_ to get close to me."

Now that wasn't true. Sure, Ignis had that kind of reputation around the Citadel. But Gladio knew there were some glaives and maids that only talked good about him and longed for an opportunity to get to know him better. 

"Noctis bore with me all these years. Although he didn't have much choice after the king had ordered me to look after him from a young age on."

Gladio took in a sharp breath. That almost sounded as if Ignis didn't believe in Noct's friendship. That wasn't fair to Noctis. The prince might have his own troubles expressing his feelings, but he definitely saw Ignis as one of his closest friends.

"Astrals, I've been drifting off," Ignis said as he put his empty cup on the coffee table. "My apologies. The thing is that while I was curious about sex, I wasn't interested in a loveless romping in a dirty backstreet. I wanted to be with someone who really desired me and wouldn't mind that I'm shy, uncertain, and inexperienced. I thought it would be fun to explore it all together." 

Ignis sighed.

"But I'm always so busy with work that I rarely meet new people. Furthermore, it's a rarity for me to develop feelings for anyone. And even then, I'm just too afraid to act on them. Too frightened to let someone in only to lose them again. Too scared that they'll realize that there is nothing interesting behind the ice-cold facade of this royal advisor. _I'm_ nothing - just a lonely young man, who is too anxious to act on his desires."

Gladio raked his fingers through his hair. He waited for a moment, unsure if the other had finished. When Ignis weakly nodded at his unspoken question, Gladio let out a deep breath. "There is so much I want to tell you, I don't even know where to start."

"My apologies. I was talking too much."

"No, I'm glad that you told me all that." Gladio tried to sort his thoughts. When he realized that he wanted to say everything at once, he just blurted out what came to his mind first. "You are _not_ too scared to act on your desires. At least you weren't yesterday night."

"When I riled you up only to leave you hanging? Oh, yes. I'm really proud of that. Well done, Ignis." His voice was so full of sarcasm and self-loathing that Gladio was taken aback by it.

"Iggy," Gladio almost whined, unsure where he should begin. "That wasn't _your_ fault. We didn't know the movie would end so suddenly. And, just in case you hadn't noticed: I enjoyed it nevertheless."

The other neither replied nor met his gaze.

"Alright, let me try to remember what you've told me just now." Gladio pinched the bridge of his nose. "First of all: Your uncle is the biggest asshole in the universe and knows nothing about raising children."

"I'm aware," Ignis snorted. "Since I was -despite only being two years older- responsible for Noct's education, I have read some guides. That quickly made me realize how toxic my uncle's and my relationship was. That's why I moved to the dormitory of the school when I was fourteen."

"It's good that you realized that your uncle was an asshole," Gladio said with a huff. He was still angry at that guy. "How did you come to this flat after the dormitory?"

"When I finished school, his majesty insisted that I moved into one of the flats that belong to the Crown. He showed me three, and I had to choose one of them."

"Why did you choose this one?" Gladio asked, curious to learn more about Ignis's preferences.

"The high ceiling and the balcony," Ignis admitted with a whisper.

"Huh," Gladio uttered, looking at the balcony behind the large window wall. Did Ignis enjoy sitting outside? Since he was almost always inside his office, Gladio had never gotten that impression. And the high ceiling? Gladio looked up. It was nice since it made the flat look even bigger and more open-spaced.

"Actually, the rent should be rather expensive, but his majesty made an exception for me. Even though I've told him often enough that I could just get a smaller flat."

"He wanted to give you a treat," Gladio replied with a smile.

"It's unnecessary. Look at this room, Gladiolus," Ignis mentioned desperately before his voice grew quiet. "I have more chairs than friends or acquaintances I could invite."

"You _do_ know that we are friends, right? And that especially _Noctis_ is your friend," Gladio said sternly, and Ignis bit on his bottom lip. "Prompto's your friend as well. The four of us are friends," Gladio emphasized and pointed at Ignis's dining table that had four chairs.

"The same goes for Nyx," Gladio added and pointed to the first of the four barstools at Ignis's kitchen counter. "Verecunda wants to be your friend, and Domicella wouldn't mind spending time with you either. Crowe has always liked you. That's why she had reached out to you in her way, trying to help you figure things out."

With a nod towards the chair at Ignis's work desk, Gladio said, "The glaive Sica once told me that you are her favorite training partner when it comes to dagger battles and that she could even talk about healing herbs with you."

Ignis bit his lip as his gaze first wandered to the four chairs on his balcony and then back to Gladio.

"In case you haven't noticed yet: My whole family _loves_ you. My dad only shows my childhood photos to people he trusts and cares about. My sister won't stop asking about you and your cookies, and even Jared can't wait to meet you again to talk about cakes and cooking, and I don't know what else. And Regis wouldn't have entrusted his son to you if he didn't hold you in high regards, Iggy. Hasn't he even asked you to be Noct's brother?"

"Thanks," Ignis mumbled as he rested his head on his knees, hugging his legs to hide his face.

"And while I admit that it is difficult to realize," Gladio suddenly added, "Cor thinks highly of you as well. You wouldn't even have a chair for the poor guy if he visited."

"He gets the couch," Ignis replied, a bit of amusement in his voice.

"That's a good deal," Gladio confirmed, leaning further back into the cushions. "This thing is comfortable." 

After taking a sip from his coffee, Gladio spoke up again. "By the way, I just remembered: Regis and my dad want to have dinner next week. With Jared, Iris, Noct, you, and me."  
"The king?" Ignis looked up in surprise.  
"No," Gladio replied carefully but determined. " _Regis_ wants to have dinner with _Ignis_ and the rest of his family."

"That sounds lovely," Ignis whispered.

"Two more things," Gladio said before he would forget it, holding up two fingers. "First: I get it that you don't want to have sex with a random stranger. Some people only need an attractive partner to enjoy sex, and some don't even care how they look. Others need a little bit of trust before they get intimate or more trust or a deep emotional bond. Guess that's how it is for Noct. I know that we discussed this yesterday, but I don't mind repeating myself: everyone is different and has different preferences, but they are all valid. So it's fine if you are interested in sex but can't think of anyone you'd like to try it with."

"I _can_ think of someone," Ignis admitted with a whisper, and Gladio couldn't help but grin.  
"Who?"  
"You know who," Ignis retorted quickly.  
"Can't be sure if you don't say it," Gladio teasingly emphasized every word.

The look on Ignis's face almost counted as a pout, and Gladio found it very adorable. 

With a sigh, Ignis gave in. "Nyx."  
" _What?_ " Gladio exclaimed in shock.  
"And you," Ignis added with a teasing grin.

Burying his face in his hands, Gladio groaned loudly. "You've got me there for a second," he said, looking at Ignis again, who chuckled.

When Gladio took a sip from his coffee, Ignis looked at him. "What's number two?"  
"Huh?"  
"You've mentioned that you had two more things to say."

Placing his coffee cup back down, Gladio turned to look at Ignis, expression serious. The other flinched shortly under his gaze, steeling himself for what was to come. Gladio didn't intend to scare him, but this was important.

"It's about what you've said right at the end, Iggy."

Immediately he bit down on his bottom lip, knowing perfectly well what Gladio was talking about.

"You are _not_ nothing, Iggy. I know you think that it isn't anything special, but no one else is as diligent, determined, and unselfish when it comes to working as you. However, there is so much more to you than just being the royal advisor."

"Is there?" Ignis asked, and his voice sounded so small and broken. "What is even left of me when you take away my job?"

Gladio took in a deep breath. Ignis was such a wonderful person, but he didn't realize it. Instead, he always degraded himself. Gladio longed to show Ignis just how wonderful he was. He had always been attracted to Ignis, but it was only later when he got to know him better that he really and truly had fallen in love with him. He still remembered how happy he had been on the day he had realized that Ignis enjoyed reading the same books like him. The more time he spent with Ignis, the more he learned about him. And he wasn't getting tired of learning even more about him. He wanted to know it all, and he knew there was more. Ignis was just afraid to show it.

Gladio let his gaze wander around Ignis's flat. It was huge, but it felt as cold and empty as his office. At first glance, it could be _anyone's_ flat. 

The barbeque grill on the balcony looked so stainless, Gladio wondered if it had ever been used. 

In the living room, there was no decoration of any kind. No pictures on the wall, no photos of loved ones, no magazines.

Yet then again, this flat was just like Ignis. You needed to take a closer look to see its real charm, see the character behind it. 

Standing up, Gladio walked along the window wall.   
Looking outside, he noticed an assemblage of herbs, fruits, and vegetables growing on the balcony. In the corner was a package of soil with dirty gloves lying on it. "You enjoy gardening," he said determinedly, and Ignis looked at him in surprise. "Plants don't grow so strong and beautiful without enough care and love." 

Turning around, Gladio glanced at the two potted plants next to the work desk. They were different plants than the ones next to the entrance area. Carefully, he took a dark green leaf between his fingers. "And it's not just for practical use either. Herbs and vegetables can be eaten, but these cannot." He patted the leaves of the other potted plant. "They are here because you find them beautiful and aesthetic."

Ignis was still sitting in the armchair, but his eyes were following Gladio's every movement. His expression was vulnerable and scared yet hopeful.

Gladio let his gaze travel over Ignis's desk. Carefully, he picked up a stack of notebooks. They were all black, but an endless number of colorful page markers were sticking out of them. Instead of titles, small pictures were drawn on the covers: flowers, vegetables, cookies, hearts. "You're attentive and creative," Gladio mentioned with a smile. "You take notes about your plants' growth. You're collecting and improving recipes. And you're a writer." Fondly, he placed the notebooks back on the desk.

With soft steps, Gladio went into the kitchen. While it was spotless and clean at first glance, there were signs of usage. His fingertips traced over small scratches in the countertops. Then, he opened the freezer and the fridge. For someone who didn't eat much and was rarely at home anyway, they were filled to the brim. Food storage bowls loaded with different meals were stacked in the freezer. "You enjoy cooking," he deduced as he closed the doors again, his gaze drifting to oven mittens whose color looked washed out. "Even if it might have started out of a sense of obligation towards Noct, you have come to _like_ it." 

When he opened the kitchen cabinets, his eyes widened in surprise as he found an abundant variety of ground coffee and coffee beans. His gaze traveled over the different names and labels. Gladio knew that some of them were really expensive and usually not even available in Insomnia. Until now, he had always thought that Ignis only drank the brown liquid to stay awake, but his collection sung a different song. "You love coffee and appreciate the different flavors of different coffee beans."

Slowly Gladio walked back towards Ignis, who quickly averted his gaze. After two more steps, Gladio came to a halt in front of the bookshelf left of the television. "Your books are sorted by author and then by release date. If you only cared about an order, sorting them by title would have been easier. But you see what's behind these titles. You see how much an author grows with every work they write and value that development. You care about depths and details other people ignore in all of their superficialness."

Curiously, he went to the smaller bookshelf right of the television. Cautiously, his fingers traced over the spines. Some of them were rough from usage because the books had been opened so many times. As expected, there were recipe books and books about gardening. But there were also books about healthy diets and skincare, about aromatherapy and medicinal herbs, about yoga and gymnastics. Gladio smiled happily. On Thursday, when he had realized how often Ignis skipped meals, he had been worried that the other wasn't even aware of that bad habit. But that wasn't the case. "And despite all your anxieties and insecurities, you don't dislike your body. You like to work out and try to take care of yourself."

Ignis took in a sharp breath, and Gladio remembered something.

"Where's your pole? You have one at home, don't you? For dancing." Gladio knew he was grasping at straws, but he just had to go with his gut feeling.

Biting his bottom lip, Ignis wordlessly got up from the armchair. With feather-light steps, he went into the hallway. In front of the first door on the right side, he paused. Hesitantly, his right hand rested on the door handle. 

Gladio had followed him and softly placed his hands on Ignis's shoulders. The other took a deep breath before he opened the door and went inside. 

"Wow," Gladio uttered in surprise as he took in the long-stretched space. On the opposite side of the door was a window, providing a beautiful view of Insomnia's scenery. But that wasn't what had caught his attention. 

A photographic wallpaper went over the whole right wall of the room. It showed a waterfall in the middle of rich greenery - trees and colorful flowers. The left side of the room was one giant mirror just like it's known from dance studios.

Right next to the door stood a treadmill. A rolled-up yoga mat leaned in the corner next to a stability ball, and a skipping rope was lying on the ground. 

Yet, most of the room was empty in order to leave enough open space around the metal pole that was further inside the room. Thanks to the high ceiling of the flat, it was quite long. Ignis had walked over to it, his left hand resting against it as he stood with his back towards Gladio.

" _Show me_ ," Gladio whispered his request.

After a deep breath, Ignis used his phone to start up some soft and slow music. Gladio only now noticed the large Bluetooth speakers hanging in the corners. Ignis lay his phone and his glasses on the windowsill before he walked a few steps back. 

Closing his eyes, he listened to the soft music, his hands resting against the pole. After another deep breath, Ignis used his upper arms to lift up his whole body. Gladio could only imagine how much strength the other needed to have in his arms to do this so effortlessly.

Ignis was spinning around the pole, his legs extended, while his left and right hand alternated in grabbing a higher part of it. Like this, he was gracefully climbing to the top in merely a few moments. Although his eyes were closed, Ignis stopped right before the top, knowing its length by memory. In at moment, Gladio realized why Ignis had chosen a flat with a high ceiling.

Wrapping his legs around it, he released his hands. Leaning back with his whole upper body, Ignis managed to grab the lower part of the pole again. He unwrapped his legs, and they softly touched the ground. It's like he had done a backflip. Gladio was mesmerized by this flexibility and body tension. 

Going with the flow of the music, Ignis turned around and opened his eyes again. He slid down to sit on the ground with the pole against his back. Lifting his arms over his head, he held unto the metal as he lifted his body up for another backflip. 

Faster than Gladio could look, Ignis elegantly climbed back up the pole. With his thighs wrapped around the metal, he stretched out his legs, his feet pointing towards the ceiling. Bending his back, his hands left the pole as he stretched out his arms and hung on the pole upside down, holding his whole body weight with his thighs.

After a moment, he reached behind his back, grabbing the pole with his hands as he let go of it with his thighs. Still upside down, his legs mimicked walking motions as he, step by step, walked through the air from the ceiling back to the ground. Yet right before his tiptoes touched the floor, he threw his legs back up. Quickly, his thighs wrapped around the pole again as his hand let go of it instead. With a sit-up, he lifted his upper body up, his fingers grabbing the metal as he came to a halt in something similar to a sitting position.

Slowly, he slid down to the ground, but only to take a run-up. With that, he lifted himself back up. After spinning around the pole, his hands and legs took turns as he climbed upwards so quickly that Gladio almost couldn't follow the movements with his eyes. Despite the speed, it didn't look rushed but elegant.

At some point, Ignis stretched out his left leg to the top until his foot was on the pole. Simultaneously, his right foot went to the bottom of it while he held himself in the middle with his hands. It was like he was doing a split. Meanwhile, he never stopped rotating around the pole. 

What followed was a constant climbing up the pole and sliding back down again while he felt the music and swayed to the rhythm.

Never before had Gladio realized how beautiful and aesthetic pole dancing was. For him, it had always been purely sexual. But now, he knew better. 

Fluid movements were in time with the music. It looked so easy and natural, although it needed so much strength and body tension.

And during it all, there was a peaceful smile on Ignis's lips.

Gladio was mesmerized by the elegance and grace of this performance.

When the music came to a stop, Ignis's toes softly touched the ground again.

Gladio felt like he had fallen in love again.

"That," he said with quivering lips and a broken voice, as he wiped an unshed tear from his eye, "was the most beautiful thing I've seen in my entire life."

Ignis was a bit out of breath from his dance, and his cheeks turned red as he listened to Gladio's honest confession. "Thank you," he whispered. To hide his blushing face, Ignis walked over to the windowsill. He put on his glasses and picked up his phone.

"You're amazing, Iggy, really," Gladio praised him again. And while he got no words as an answer, Ignis at least nodded thankfully, his cheeks red. Gladio smiled. The other was slowly learning to accept praise. 

"Can I give it a try?" Gladio asked, pointing at the pole.  
"Sure," Ignis replied, a bit perplexed as he blinked at Gladio.

Seizing the metal with his hands, Gladio wrapped his legs around it, crossing his ankles. He pulled his body up a bit before he grabbed a higher part of the pole, pulling his legs up again.

"That looks like rope climbing," Ignis stated from the ground.  
"Yeah, that's what I've learned during training." Gladio sighed, his voice getting a bit frustrated, as he accidentally slid back down a bit again. "But this feels more difficult because a rope is flexible, and this thing is rock-solid."

"It's a matter of habit," Ignis mentioned.

Gladio climbed a bit further up and already felt his muscles screaming at him. This was way more exhausting than it looked, and he was still sore from training yesterday. "What now?" he asked as he had finally reached the top.

"Try to hold unto it with only your arms or your legs," Ignis suggested.

"I'll fall," Gladio predicted, yet tried it anyway. Carefully, he unwrapped his legs from the pole. His hands held unto the metal as he just hung there.

Ignis dared to chuckle. "Very elegant."

"Don't tease me," Gladio retorted playfully and wrapped his legs around the pole again. 

Slowly, he took his hands away from the metal, attempting to hold himself up with only his legs, but he was slowly gliding down. As he tried to gracefully lean his upper body back as Ignis had done, he felt his muscles shivering and giving in. Quickly he grabbed the pole with his hands again. "Nope. No chance."

"It requires a lot of practice," Ignis admitted.

"How did you manage to swirl around it the whole time?"  
"Just lean to the side and go with the flow."   
It was a vague explanation, but Gladio tried to do it. He leaned towards his right side, but nothing happened. Next, he changed the angle from which he had grabbed the pole with his hands, moving his torso around it, pulling his legs after him. 

With that, he had managed to turn around a quarter of the pole.   
_What a joke._

"Nope."  
He sighed and let go of the metal, jumping back to the ground as he gave up.

With a chuckle, Ignis grabbed the pole. Gladio took a few steps back to give the other enough space to maneuver. With ease, Ignis rotated around it as he climbed upwards.   
Lifting his left leg up, he hooked his knee around the pole at the same height as his shoulders were. Placing his left hand just above his knee, he let his right leg hang down freely. As he continued to swirl around the pole, Ignis used his right hand to take his phone out of the pockets of his tight leggings. 

Licking his lips, Ignis winked at him. 

Gladio couldn't help but stare.

Only when Ignis jumped back down, chuckling as he looked at his phone, Gladio realized what had just happened. "Did you take a photo?"

With another chuckle, Ignis turned his phone around to show him. On the side of the photo was Ignis's outstretched right arm he had used to take the shot. In the middle was the pole, Ignis's left arm and leg wrapped around it as he smiled into the camera. And in the background stood Gladio, staring up at him with the most dimwitted gaze.

"I look like an idiot," Gladio said with a groan, but Ignis only chuckled again.  
"I'd say it's cute."  
"As long as it makes you happy."  
"It does," Ignis replied sincerely, and Gladio smiled at him. 

For a moment, they just stood there, staring into each other's eyes. Gladio felt them slowly drifting closer to each other. There it was again: this tension he had felt since last Saturday when they had kissed and Ignis had wanted to ask him something important.

"I'm getting hungry," Ignis said, taking a step back and breaking the moment. "It's still a bit early, but shall we cook?"

"Yeah, sure," Gladio replied, a bit disappointed even though he couldn't pinpoint what he had expected. A sudden kiss followed by a make-out session? No, that wasn't happening. Something was still missing. Whatever that something was. He held back a sigh. "I've just gotta use the restroom first."

"Of course," Ignis replied as he left the room. Pointing at the opposite door, he said, "I do have a guest toilet, but I'm afraid the lightbulb is broken, and I haven't yet had the time to buy a new one to change it." 

Just as Gladio wanted to offer that he could simply use the flashlight of his phone, Ignis pointed to the second door on the left side of the hallway. "Just use the bathroom instead."

While Ignis went to the kitchen, Gladio entered the bathroom. It was bigger than expected, and his gaze immediately fell on the bathtub on the other side of the room. With his broad frame, Gladio didn't comfortably fit in a normal-sized bathtub, but this one looked big enough for two people.

Shaking his head, he willed away imaginary pictures of him and Ignis bathing together.

Next to the bathtub was a shower, then the toilet. On the right side of the room was a sink with a mirror, a washing machine, and two large shelves. Gladio smiled as he noticed some small potted plants and an accumulation of glasses with differently colored bath salts. While he admittedly didn't know much about this stuff, he was pretty sure that these bath salts were self-made. 

Smiling, Gladio looked forward to learning even more new things about Ignis today.

As he came to the kitchen, Ignis had taken out a pot and some ingredients. Curiously, Gladio peered over Ignis's shoulder. "What's on the menu?"

"I thought it wise to start with something easy today," Ignis explained as he opened the fridge to take out the Parmesan. "Whole-grain pasta with self-made broccoli pesto."

" _Self-made Pesto_ counts as easy?" Gladio exclaimed in shock. "I couldn't even heat up a ready-made sauce, Iggy."  
"When left unsupervised, yes," Ignis replied teasingly. Picking up a pair of scissors, he walked out of the kitchen, and Gladio simply followed him.

They went out on the balcony, and Ignis cut off some herbs.  
"Ah, basil," Gladio said, and Ignis turned around, impressed. "Don't give me that look, Iggy. It's not like I know _nothing_ about cooking or ingredients."  
"My apologies," he replied. Before they went back inside, Ignis looked at his other plants. Carefully, he checked if the soil was still wet enough and cut off a withered piece of parsley. Gladio felt warm around his heart as he witnessed how much care the other put into this task.

Afterwards, Ignis walked to the kitchen, and Gladio followed him like a baby chicken its mother-hen. 

"Huh," Gladio suddenly uttered in realization. "When you got to Noct's apartment yesterday, the first thing you did was watering his plants. Even before you got yourself a coffee."

A sigh tumbled from Ignis's lips. "I always tell Noct to do at least that much on his own, but he tends to get even lazier when he isn't feeling well."

Leaning against the kitchen counter, Gladio crossed his arms as he watched how Ignis washed the basil and the broccoli in the sink. "I'm sure he would be more attentive if he knew how much you care about these plants. Knowing Noct, he probably never even spared them a second glance. You should give them names and tell him about it. He'll grow attached to them."

Ignis flinched. Although he tried to mask it by moving his hands to grab a towel, Gladio had noticed it.

"Oh my gods," Gladio uttered in realization, a grin spreading on his face. "They already _have_ names, don't they?"

"It's stupid, I know," Ignis mumbled as he dried off his hands.  
"It's not stupid," Gladio replied, "it's cute. They are like your pets, aren't they?"  
Too embarrassed, Ignis cut off the conversation. "That was enough about plants," he said strictly. "You should start cooking now."

Gladio must have misheard that. "You want _me_ to cook?"  
"That's why you are here, right? So I could teach you how to cook. Start by heating up some water. We need it to cook the broccoli and the pasta," Ignis instructed as he took some steps back to make room for Gladio to work.

"Don't blame me if this ends up with a disaster," Gladio replied as he took the cooking pot that Ignis had already placed on the counter before and filled it with water. "And you _do_ know that the main reason I'm here is that I wanted to spend time with you, right? Getting taught how to cook is only a nice bonus."

When Ignis didn't reply even after Gladio had put the pot on the stove, he turned around to look at him. Ignis held his hand up to his chest as if he were trying to feel his own heartbeat. Their eyes met, and Ignis's gaze was so full of emotions that Gladio held his breath in anticipation. In slow motion, they gravitated towards each other until they were so close that Gladio could smell Ignis's perfume again: that sweet flowery yet citrus-like fragrance. Only now did Gladio realize that he hadn't smelled it these last days because Ignis hadn't been home since Tuesday, his perfume out of reach. That thought evoked a strong feeling of protectiveness in Gladio, and he wished for nothing more than to wrap his arms around Ignis never let go of him again.

"We should start on the pesto before the water boils," Ignis said as he took a step back, getting out of Gladio's personal space bubble. Closing his eyes to take a deep breath, Gladio tried to calm down. He wouldn't stand this tension much longer. He was one step away from turning off the stove, putting his arms around Ignis, and just showering him with all the affection he deserved. By now, he knew that the other was shy and scared, unused to sharing a deep emotional connection. But Gladio really didn't know how much longer he could wait or what else he should do to tell Ignis that everything was fine. They would work this out together. Gladio would never leave him hanging, no matter what. If Iggy would just decide to let himself fall, Gladio would make sure to catch him, keeping him secure.

"Gladiolus?"  
"Yeah." Gladio raked his hand through his hair once. "The pesto, alright. What should I do?"

Knowing the recipe by heart, Ignis told him exactly how much Parmesan, olive oil, pine nuts, and garlic Gladio needed. Carefully, Gladio measured everything out and took it into the blender together with the basil they had picked up on the balcony and some salt. After the broccoli had boiled for only two minutes, he took it out of the pot. Together with a bit of the hot water, he added its florets to the blender as well. Gladio was surprised as the ingredients slowly blended together into a green mixture that really looked like pesto. The pasta had been added to the pot after he had taken out the broccoli. After ten minutes, Ignis instructed him to taste-test one noodle instead of just taking the cooking pot from the stove. Gladio decided to let them boil for two more minutes since they weren't soft enough for his liking yet. 

When they eventually sat down at the dining table, and Gladio saw a decent looking meal in front of him, he almost felt proud. "This actually looks edible."  
Ignis snorted. "Of course it does. Did you not have trust in my instructions?" It was meant playfully.  
"I trust in your instructions. I just don't trust in my cooking skills," Gladio said as he picked up a noodle with his fork. It had turned green from the pesto, and while he knew that his sister would contort her face, it looked delicious to him - and it _smelled_ delicious. Carefully he took the first bite, and the pleasant flavor spread in his mouth. He actually moaned in delight. "Gods, it's so good!" Quickly he took another bite, and Ignis chuckled before he began to eat as well.

As they ate, Ignis explained how variations -more or less garlic, other types of cheese- influenced the flavor. While Gladio understood how changing the ingredients would change the final product as well, he couldn't imagine what it would taste like. That, however, wasn't the important part. He was happy just listening to Ignis talking about the things he loved. At some point, he asked if different pasta was an option as well. At first, Ignis was surprised that he showed so much interest in it. But then he continued to talk about different types of pasta. Gladio hadn't known that something like home-made pasta even existed.

Since Gladio knew that -even after dinner- Ignis couldn't rest until all chores were done, he followed him back to the kitchen to wash the dishes. Compared to yesterday, they had changed their roles: Gladio was washing, Ignis was drying. 

Since he had used too much dish detergent, the sink was brimming over with soap bubbles. Playfully, he blew some bubbles at Ignis and laughed when one came to rest on the tip of his nose. Chuckling, Ignis nudged him with his hips once. Gladio laughed, and as he used his finger to wipe the soap bubble from Ignis's nose, he only ended up adding more. 

They somehow managed to clean and dry the dishes while, at the same time, they had started a bubble fight. By the time everything had already been put in the cabinets, they were still going on. Laughing, they put soap bubbles on their cheeks and noses. Once again, they gravitated towards each other, and Gladio could feel the tension between them. Using his thumb, Gladio wiped a bubble from Ignis's cheek. But instead of taking his hand away again, he merely continued to caress the soft skin beneath his fingers. Ignis's laughter slowly subsided as he stared at Gladio with wide green eyes. Halfway closing his eyes, Gladio licked his lips and leaned in closer. 

Breaking the touch, Ignis took a step to the side and turned around to drain the water from the sink.

This time, Gladio couldn't hold back a loud, frustrated sigh. This tension between them was making him furious. 

Afraid to lose his patience if he gave this any more thought, he searched for a distraction. "Should we watch a movie or something?" he asked half-heartedly and left the kitchen.

Before he could reach the couch, Ignis called out to him. "Gladiolus, wait."

Gladio came to a halt as he felt a pull on his shirt. Ignis was holding onto its hem like Iris sometimes did when she was too shy to admit that she was scared.

"Yeah?" Gladio prompted, but Ignis still didn't speak up.  
"Listen." With a sigh, Gladio turned around. Ignis still hadn't let go of the hem, and the fabric stretched as the back of his shirt got pulled to the front. "If you're not saying anything, _I'll_ say something now."   
There was no reaction to his words. Ignis just clung to his shirt, his head hanging down to hide his face.

Gladio took a deep breath. "I know that this is difficult for you. Probably even more than I can imagine. But I just want you to know that it isn't easy for me either. Especially this constant back and forth between us. Listen, I'm not blaming you or trying to push you, but-"

"Last Saturday," Ignis suddenly said, voice determined as he looked up to his face, "when we got interrupted-"  
"Yeah?" Gladio was a bit surprised by this sudden change of topic, but he remembered that moment vividly and couldn't deny that he had been curious ever since.  
"I had intended to ask something." The determination from before was already gone again, anxiety finding its way back to Ignis's voice.

"What was it?" Gladio asked tentatively.  
Ignis chewed on his bottom lip, averting his gaze, his hands shaking.  
"You can ask me _anything_ , Iggy. _Always_ ," Gladio added patiently as he carefully placed his left hand over Ignis's right one that still clung to the hem of his shirt.

"Why have you-" Ignis broke off again.  
"Why have I what?" He prompted softly, noticing how difficult this was for the other.  
Ignis took a deep breath before he looked at him, right into his eyes. 

"Why have you stopped dating?"

_Oh._

_OH!_

Eyes widened in surprise as Gladio finally realized what the missing piece had been: The question he had awaited for weeks, the same one Aegis had expected of Liber at the end of Gladio's fanfiction. He had promised to wait until he was asked this question, to wait until the other was ready to hear his love confession.

Gladio felt his heartbeat speeding up, his blood pulsing in his ears. He was trembling, feeling hot, cold, and suddenly hot again.

Ignis's hand was still shaking beneath his, desperately holding onto the hem of the shirt, and Gladio wasn't much better off, trembling from nervousness.

Taking a deep breath, he ever so carefully moved his hand to intertwine their fingers. Silently, Ignis let it happen. It helped Gladio to compose himself.

"I have stopped dating because I fell in love a long time ago," Gladio softly started to pour out his feelings. "And at some point, I have realized that _no one else_ will ever be enough for me. That's why I have made a decision: As long as there was even the tiniest sliver of hope, I would pursue the one person I truly desire - the only one. I would do anything to get his attention, anything to gain his trust. Because this man is worth it all. I wanted to prove that I was serious. So I've changed my way of living to set a statement. Yet, I always stayed true to myself. Because loving yourself is just as important as loving someone else."

With every word he said, Gladio continued to caress Ignis's trembling hand. Affectionately, he let his thumb stroke over the soft skin.

"This man I love is the most beautiful being on all Eos. I love his lean body - flexible and elegant yet still so strong. I love his face - filigree eyebrows, sharp nose, thin lips; green eyes that can be strict and sharp yet, also, sparkling and loving. I love how diligent and determined he is, never losing his motivation. I love how he aims for perfection but never expects it of others, patiently accepting their flaws. I love his eye for detail, how he appreciates even the smallest aspects, taking his time to focus on everything even though he is always so busy. I love how he cares for others, showing empathy while selflessly offering his help. I love that he is creative and inquiring, striving to create new things and be productive even in his free time. And I love getting to know him better with every second that I spent with him. Because with every new thing that I learn about him, I can feel my heart beating faster as it overflows with even more love for him."

Ignis's voice was nothing but a broken whisper.  
"Who is this man that is worth so much that he deserves to be loved by _you_?"

"It's _you_ , Iggy. I love _you,_ " Gladio said softly yet determined, and tears started to fall from beautiful green eyes. "And I will say it as often as you want, as often as you _need_ to hear it, Iggy. _I love you_."

Carefully, he placed his right hand on Ignis's cheek, wiping away the tears that were rolling down the soft skin. Thin lips were quivering as Ignis squeezed his eyes shut.

Gladio didn't know how long they kept standing there, lulled in silence that only got interrupted by a few sniveling sounds as Ignis tried to fight back his tears. During it all, Gladio never stopped to softly wipe away as many of these tears as possible while his other hand held Ignis's, trying to give him security. 

At some point, the trembling stopped, and Ignis's whole body relaxed as he took a few deep breaths. His eyes were swollen from crying, the skin of his face heated up and dotted with red spots - yet that didn't change a thing about how Gladio felt.

"You're beautiful," he whispered.  
Ignis's breath stuttered. "Even now?"  
"Yes, even now. I love everything about you, Iggy."

After a few more deep breaths, Ignis finally met his gaze. His green eyes weren't wavering anymore. They were determined and longing.

"I love you too, Gladiolus."

The warmth from his heart spread through his whole body, and a derpy grin found its way to Gladio's lips. This was what happiness felt like. Right here, right now, this exact moment. But Gladio knew that it was only the beginning.

His thoughts stopped as Ignis leaned up to kiss him, thin lips meeting his own for a second before they separated again. It had been their fifth kiss, but it had felt even sweeter than the four before. 

His eyes widened in surprise as Ignis pressed his whole body against him, seeking out his lips once more. A tongue swiftly licked over his lips, and Gladio willingly opened his mouth. As their tongues finally met, Ignis's free hand sneaked up to his neck, pulling him even closer.

Their teeth clicked together, and Gladio pulled back shortly to chuckle.  
"My apolo-" Before Ignis could apologize, Gladio softly used the hand on Ignis's cheek to angle his head to the side. Moving his own head in the opposite direction, Gladio leaned back in. As their lips met once again, his tongue invaded Ignis's mouth. With a moan, Ignis pressed his body closer. His left hand traveled from Gladio's neck up to grab his hair.

Gladio groaned into the kiss, their tongues dancing with each other. Letting go of Ignis's hand, Gladio used his now free hand to travel across Ignis's back. On his way down the spine, he stopped when he felt the waistband of Ignis's leggings, but the other raised himself on tiptoes, causing Gladio's hand to slip just a bit lower. When Ignis's tongue sped up its movements, Gladio threw away any decorum that had held him back and used his full hand to grab that ass cheek. 

He got rewarded by a needy moan as Ignis pressed even closer, moving his hips to rub against him. When Ignis's free hand pulled up his shirt to sneak beneath the fabric, Gladio suddenly felt too heated.

"Time-out for a second," he mumbled as he leaned back his head to break their kiss. 

"Hm?" Ignis looked at him with a needy gaze, desire in his eyes.

"I just needed to make sure: This isn't going too fast, is it?" Gladio didn't want to stop, but with how hesitant Ignis had been these last weeks, he was afraid to overwhelm him.

" _Bloody hell_ ," Ignis cursed, fisting his hand in Gladio's shirt to pull it up to his chest. He let his hand wander over naked abs. "I've waited long enough."

With a pleased grin, Gladio swiftly took off his shirt. Carelessly, he dropped it to the floor and met Ignis in another hungry kiss. Curious fingertips traveled from his abs to his chest. 

Using both hands, Gladio grabbed Ignis's ass cheeks again, pressing their hips together. 

The moan that tumbled from Ignis's lips was high-pitched and so sudden that they broke their kiss.  
" _Fuck_ ," Gladio mumbled as he leaned forward to place kisses down Ignis's neck. "These _sounds_ you make."

Ignis clenched his fist in Gladio's hair, making him growl at the pleasant pull. 

Both of them had already gotten hard. Gladio could feel it. They had both anticipated this moment for too long, and Gladio was so afraid that he would wake up any second now and realize that it, once again, had been nothing but a wet dream. 

Yet when Ignis suddenly whispered, "Second door on the right," and lifted himself up, wrapping his legs around Gladio's hips, Gladio didn't even care anymore if this was a dream or reality. All he cared about was that Ignis was right here in his arms, erection pressing against his hip, as his hands raked through his hair and thin lips experimentally kissed and nipped on his neck.

With his hands holding on to these firm ass cheeks, Gladio managed to walk although his knees had gotten weak. 

Reluctantly, he let go of the right cheek for a moment to open the door. Entering the bedroom, he pushed the door closed again with his foot. In the left corner stood a bed with dark-blue sheets, and that was everything Gladio cared about right now. He could take a look at the rest of the room eventually.

Even after he had crawled on the bed, kneeling down to the soft mattress, Ignis didn't let go of him, sitting in his lap, legs wrapped firmly around his torso, chest against chest.

Gladio chuckled as he desperately tried to get his hands between them. Ignis only hummed as he continued to pepper Gladio's neck with kisses.

"Can you lean back a bit for a second?" Gladio whispered. "I wanna take off your shirt."   
"Oh," Ignis uttered in surprise, eyes wide as he pushed himself away from Gladio and fell backwards on the bed, his legs still wrapped around Gladio's hips.

Gladio chuckled in amusement. "Not _that far_ away."  
"My apologies," Ignis said, cheeks heating up in embarrassment. He suddenly leaned back up again at the same moment that Gladio had leaned down to follow him, and their foreheads collided with each other.

" _Ouch_ ," Gladio exclaimed as he rubbed the bump on his head.  
An embarrassed whine left Ignis's lips as he lay on the bed, pulling his arms over his face to hide.

"I'm messing this up," Ignis whined desperately.  
"No, no," Gladio denied, reassuringly stroking over that firm thigh twice. "Stuff like that happens, don't worry." He let his hands travel to Ignis's dress shirt, trying to open the first button at the bottom. " _I'll_ mess this up because tiny buttons like these are the nemesis of someone with thick fingers like mine," Gladio furrowed his brow in concentration. Depending on his partner, he had ripped open more than one dress shirt before. But on the one hand, he was sure that Iggy would get mad about that, and on the other hand, he didn't _want_ to destroy this beautiful shirt. He liked that pastel-green color on Ignis: it accentuated his eyes.

Slowly, Ignis pulled his arms back, revealing his face again. Tentatively, he took Gladio's hand and brought it closer to his face.

"I like your fingers," he confessed before he took Gladio's forefinger into his mouth, lasciviously sucking on it and swirling his tongue around it, his sharp green eyes looking up at him.

"Entice me even more, and I'll really _rip_ these clothes right _off_ your body," Gladio warned with a deep growl.

With a chuckle, Ignis let go of Gladio's hand. Reaching down, he quickly undid the buttons of his shirt with skillful fingers. Holding his breath, Gladio watched how more and more pale skin got revealed. When Ignis tried to lean up to take off his shirt completely, Gladio pushed him back down to the mattress with one hand. Immediately, he surged forward and licked over Ignis's right nipple. 

A surprised yelp tumbled from thin lips, and a hand grabbed his upper arm. Turned on by that reaction, Gladio relentlessly sucked and nipped at the rosy bud. 

"Gladiolus!" Ignis exclaimed, his hips twitching as he moaned into the crook of his left arm.

"If you muffle your sounds, I'll stop," Gladio said with a wolfish grin as he let go.  
"That's blackmailing," Ignis mumbled against his arm, but Gladio only pulled up an eyebrow, waiting patiently. "You better make this worth the embarrassment," Ignis whispered as he let his arm fall back down to the mattress.  
"You bet!" Gladio replied with a wink as he pinched both nipples at the same time.

" _Hah!_ " Ignis threw back his head in pleasure, and Gladio continued to rub the sensitive tips between his fingers.

He felt his own erection pulsing in need as Ignis started to rub his hips against him. As much as Gladio wished to prolong this, he knew they both wouldn't last long. 

His heart warmed up when he remembered that this wouldn't be his only night with Ignis. They had so many more days waiting for them. There was no need to do _everything now_.

Leaning forward, Gladio met Ignis in another wet kiss, his hands never stopping their movements. Softly he kissed his way from sweet lips to his cheek and down his neck. Ignis willingly moved his head to the other side to give him more space. 

"Loosen your legs a bit," Gladio whispered against his neck because it was almost impossible to move with Ignis clinging to him like that - no matter how much he enjoyed that possessive and needy gesture. Ignis complied, and Gladio slid further down, kissing his way along the middle of Ignis's chest, down to his stomach. Ignis's abs weren't as defined as Gladio's, but they were still visible - a sign of regular training and hours spent pole dancing. Delving into Ignis's navel, he let his tongue swirl around, coaxing another one of these sinful moans out of his lover.

_His lover._

Gladio smiled as he kissed his way back up to Ignis's right chest. Closing his lips around the hardened bud, he let his now free hand stroke down the side of Ignis's torso. When Ignis flinched, Gladio remembered how ticklish the other had been last week.

With an evil grin, he looked up at Ignis, who only widened his eyes as he realized what was about to come. Showing no mercy, Gladio grabbed Ignis's sides and tickled him.

Ignis _squealed_ before waves of laughter tumbled from his lips. His whole body was twitching and shaking as he tried to get away from Gladio's touch but didn't manage to. A hand gripped Gladio's wrist in another desperate attempt to make him stop while the other hand pulled on his hair. That only caused Gladio to moan and speed up his tickling motions even more.

Flexible as he was, Ignis managed to put his right foot against Gladio's shoulder, trying to push him away. But with all the waves of laughter that hit him, he couldn't grasp enough strength.

"Time out, time out!" he called eventually, and Gladio reluctantly gave in. He moved his hands further down and let them rest on Ignis's hips. With his teeth, he moved up the fabric of Ignis's leggings, placing sweet kisses on the exposed skin of his right ankle of the foot still resting against Gladio's shoulder. Ignis's eyes widened as Gladio began to kiss his way up the leg, mouthing and sucking against the black fabric. From his shin to his knee and up to his thigh. All the time, Gladio kept his eyes on Ignis's face, watching how his cheeks turned an even deeper shade of red as he blushed up to his ears, his breathing speeding up in anticipation.

"Gladiolus," Ignis whispered as Gladio had stopped at the end of his thigh.   
"Hm?" he hummed, his thumbs rubbing circles over Ignis's hipbones, slightly slipping beneath the waistband.  
"Please." It had been nothing more than a needy whimper.  
"Please what?" He asked teasingly.  
  
With a pout, Ignis reached for his nightstand. Opening the drawer, he let his hand slip into it, searching for something. Wordlessly, he threw a bottle of lube at Gladio, a silent plea in his eyes. 

Gladio laughed as the bottle hit his upper arm and fell to the bed. "Everything you want," he said softly. 

His own erection was rockhard, begging for attention and some kind of touch, but Gladio ignored it. He only cared about pleasuring Ignis right now. 

Leaning forward, he caught Ignis's lips in another kiss. Slowly, he let his right hand travel from Ignis's hipbone to the bulge in his pants. Needy hips twitched, seeking out more contact. Breaking the kiss, Gladio leaned back, his hands coming to a rest on the waistband of Ignis's leggings. Pulling up an eyebrow, silently asking for consent again, he studied Ignis's beautiful face. His lover nodded eagerly, and Gladio pulled down Ignis's leggings and underwear at once, taking the socks off with them at well.

The other yelped in surprise, pressing his thighs together and covering his erection with his hands.

"What?" Gladio asked with a chuckle, placing a kiss on Ignis's knee.  
"I just," his lover gulped nervously, "I didn't expect you to take _all_ off at once."

Gladio laughed as he held up the bottle of lube Ignis had thrown at him before. "Wanted me to spread some lube on your underwear instead?"

His laughter subsided for a second as his face got hit by a pillow. "Never thought you'd be the kind of guy who _threw_ stuff when he gets too embarrassed," Gladio mentioned with a wink, and Ignis just took in a sharp breath, his cheeks still heated.

"Tell me if it's getting too much, though, or if I should stop," Gladio whispered, his right hand caressing the soft skin of his lover's knee. "At _any_ time," he emphasized, placing a kiss on Ignis's knee.

Green eyes looked at him, expression serious. "Only if _you_ promise to tell me if things should get boring to you or if I'm doing something terribly wrong."

"That's blackmailing," Gladio repeated Ignis's words from earlier, trying to ease his insecurity by lightening up the mood. "But I promise. So far, I have nothing to complain about."

"Okay," Ignis whispered, slowly pulling his hands away and relaxing his legs. 

Gladio looked at his lover's cock. He couldn't help but remember the night before yesterday when he had pondered what it would look like. Just like expected from a tall man like Ignis, his cock was long as well. It was curved upwards and slightly to Ignis's left - although really just a little bit. Gladio might not have even noticed if the other hadn't told him before.

"You're staring," Ignis whispered without judgment.  
"I'll stop staring and start sucking," Gladio replied with a wink, and Ignis's eyes widened in surprise. As Gladio immediately leaned down to place the first kiss on the already leaking top of his lover's erection, Ignis let out a flustered whine. 

Gladio growled deeply. "Let me hear more of these sounds," he said and leaned down to take Ignis's cock into his mouth. In precaution, he had placed his left hand on his lover's hips, holding them down as they twitched, trying to move into his touch.

Swirling his tongue along the underside of the hardness in his mouth, Gladio hollowed his cheeks, sucking intensely.

" _Astrals_ , Gladiolus!" Ignis moaned, writhing his head left and right in pleasure. Eager to please his lover even further, Gladio let his right hand travel upwards to caress a soft nipple. It didn't take long until it hardened again under his touch.

Ignis moved his hand to rake through Gladio's hair, causing him to moan, hips twitching in need. His lover whined as he felt the vibrations around his cock. 

" _Gladiolus!_ " 

He could listen to these desperate and needy cries forever. 

Suddenly, he felt something pressing against his right hand. Looking up, he saw the bottle of lube again, a pleading look in Ignis's eyes.

With a chuckle, he let go of his lover's erection. "You know what you want, don't you?"  
"My apologies, I-"  
"I like that," Gladio said with a deep growl as he grabbed the bottle. "Show your desires," he said as he opened the cap. "Don't hold back your needs," he whispered as he squished some lube out of the bottle, coating the fingers of his right hand.

"What about you?" Ignis whispered, flustered.  
"Right now?" Gladio closed the bottle and put it aside. "I just wanna make you feel good."

With a wink, he grabbed Ignis's leg with his left hand, carefully pushing it up. His lover got the message, effortlessly spreading his legs and pulling them up, helping Gladio gaining better access.   
"Gods, you're so flexible. It's sexy," Gladio said hoarsely and leaned back down.

Taking Ignis's cock back into his mouth, Gladio held the upper part of Ignis's muscular thigh in a steady grip, pressing his lover down to the sheets despite hips that quivered in need.

Since he didn't intend to make his lover wait, he let the tip of his finger circle over the twitching hole. 

"Yes, _please_ ," Ignis requested between two moans. As Gladio moved his lips further down to take more of his lover's length into his mouth, he slipped his finger inside his lover. 

At once, he got greedily sucked in by the tight heat as Ignis moaned once again.

" _Another_ ," Ignis begged, almost impatiently. "Gladiolus!"

Afraid to hurt his lover, Gladio decided to take his time. Slowly, he moved his finger back and forth, exploring the hot heat surrounding it in search of that specific spot that would make his lover feel even better. Meanwhile, his lips traveled further up, mouthing at the tip of his lover's cock.

" _Another_ ," Ignis demanded, pulling on Gladio's hair to emphasize his wish.

 _Fuck._

Gladio moaned deeply, his own erection twitching inside his pants as he obeyed and put a second finger inside. Who would have thought Ignis would be so demanding in bed? Gladio loved it.

" _Gods, yes!_ " Ignis screamed, pulling on Gladio's hair again, making him moan around his lover's cock.

The tight heat was sucking Gladio's fingers in, and he tried to match the movements of his fingers to those of his mouth.

His tongue was pressing against the underside of his lover's shaft. Carefully, he sucked on the hot heat.

" _Deeper_ ," Ignis whispered between shaky breaths.

After swirling his tongue around the tip of his lover's erection, Gladio moved down even further, taking more of his length into his mouth.

Suddenly there was another sharp tug on his hair, and Gladio growled.

"Not _that_ ," Ignis almost complained. "Your fingers. _Deeper_."

With a snort, Gladio made a mental note to -one day- get Ignis off only by fingering his ass.

Pushing his digits deeper inside, Ignis suddenly screamed in pleasure, his whole body twitching, desperate for more.

" _Again_ ," Ignis demanded, and Gladio complied. " _Yes_." Another moan. "Don't stop!"

As if he would ever think about stopping. Gladio could keep going all night if Ignis continued to make these delicious sounds.

Speeding up the movements of his tongue and his fingers, Gladio got rewarded with even more moans and whines of his lover. Ignis's body kept trembling, hips twitching in a desperate need to gain more contact. His head kept trashing and turning from one side to the other as he indulged in pleasure.

"Wait," Ignis suddenly exclaimed, and Gladio stopped his movements, peering up at his lover's face, lips still wrapped around his arousal. "I'll come if you conti-"

Before Ignis had finished his sentence, Gladio got back to work. Unstoppably he pushed his fingers into the tight heat, making sure to hit that spot deep inside that made his lover squirm and squeal in hungry delight. 

"Gladiolus," Ignis called out again, pulling on his hair.  
For a moment, Gladio let go of his lover's cock. "I _want_ to make you come, Iggy. _Please_ ," he begged before he leaned down again to lick the precum from the twitching length. 

When he wrapped his whole mouth around it again, Ignis moaned in pleasure, giving in to Gladio's wish.

"Curl your fingers more," his lover whispered, and Gladio complied. 

While he still made sure to suck on Ignis's hot cock, his tongue rubbing against the underside, he focused more on the movements of his hands. By now, he had realized that his lover relished that part of their connection even more.

" _Harder_!" Ignis panted as his hips tried to twitch up again but got held down by the firm grip of Gladio's left hand. 

_Gods_ , Gladio felt like _he_ was the one close to coming. He loved it when his partners voiced their desires. 

Pushing his fingers in faster and more vigorously, Gladio enjoyed the sounds that tumbled from Ignis's lips.

" _Another!_ "

Gladio pushed in the third finger, and suddenly hot cum was flooding his mouth as Ignis's whole body tossed and turned in pleasure, his hand pulling on Gladio's hair.

Gladio moaned as he greedily drank it all, his fingers rubbing against his lover's prostate until his orgasm had subsided. 

With one last lick against the underside of Ignis's spent cock, Gladio took off his mouth as he pulled out his fingers, wiping them on his pants.

Ignis looked at him with hazy eyes, cheeks red, glasses askew, a few strands of hair hanging onto his forehead. His arms were still clad in that pastel-green shirt next to the pale skin on Ignis's heaving chest and stomach. 

He was so beautiful. 

Gladio smiled. 

And that had been _so hot_.

"You really _do_ know what you want."  
"That wasn't-" Ignis almost looked panicked as he searched for words "-I hadn't thought, I just-"  
" _Shh_." Gladio placed a quick, reassuring kiss on his lover's hipbone. "I like it when you get _needy_ , _vocal_ , and _demanding_."  
" _Oh gods_ ," Ignis exclaimed, hiding his embarrassed face behind his hands. After a moment, however, Ignis reached out for Gladio, silently asking for a hug.

With a chuckle, Gladio leaned upon his knees to crawl upwards on his bed. As his muscles screamed in pain, he grimaced, and a groan slipped from his lips.  
"Are you okay?" Ignis asked at once, worry visible on his face.  
"Yeah, yeah. My muscles just got sore from too much training yesterday," Gladio explained as he lay down next to Ignis, putting an arm around him. "Already felt it this morning, but it got worse during the day."

"A hot bath might help," Ignis suggested, and Gladio hummed in thought. "With a bit of lavender oil and maybe a little massage."  
"That sounds heavenly," Gladio whispered, placing a quick kiss on Ignis's shoulder.  
"You could, I mean after, well, what should I-" Ignis tumbled over his own words, and Gladio followed his gaze downwards. His lover was staring at the bulge in Gladio's pants. 

"Oh," he muttered in realization as if he had forgotten about his own erection. But somehow, he really only had cared about getting Ignis off. And now that bath sounded heavenly, especially if the other would join him in that big bathtub. "Would you take a bath with me?"

"Now? But your-" Ignis tried to say, nodding towards Gladio's pants.  
"Later," Gladio said simply.  
"Have I done something wrong? Should I have-"  
"Iggy," Gladio whined. "You've done _nothing wrong_. Right now, I just wanna take you up on that offer about a bath and a massage. And later, when your libido comes back," his voice dropped an octave, getting more seductive, "I wanna _fuck_ you."  
A shudder went through Ignis's whole body. " _Yes,_ " he breathed out in want.

"Perfect," Gladio announced and got up from the bed, wincing as he strained his muscles again. As soon as he stood, he took off his pants and underwear.  
"What are you-" Ignis began to ask, staring at Gladio's still half-hard length, flustered yet curious.   
"Well, I won't take a bath with my pants on, and I thought you would be even more embarrassed if you were the only one naked on our way from the bed to the bathtub," Gladio explained with a shrug.  
"I could have put on some pants for the way," Ignis exclaimed, flustered.  
"If we intend to take a bath anyway? Nah, that would be a waste of time. Come on," he said, holding out a hand for Ignis. 

With flushed cheeks, his lover grabbed his hand, his pastel-green dress shirt still hanging from his shoulders, and Gladio led them both to the bathroom.   
"I bet you're the kind of guy who never walked through his flat naked, am I right?"

"That's correct," Ignis confirmed, and Gladio laughed.

"Did you ever pole dance without clothes?" He blurted the question out without thinking as they went into the bathroom  
"No!" Ignis denied at once. "Just-"  
"Just?" Gladio asked curiously, closing the bathroom door behind him.

"Without a shirt," Ignis whispered.  
"Only wearing underwear?" Gladio asked with a grin, intending to tease him.  
"Yes," his lover admitted eventually, turning on the water to fill the bathtub.   
" _Oh_ ," Gladio exhaled as he imagined _that_.

"It's different when you feel the pole directly on your skin," Ignis explained. "At first, the metal is cold, but with time it gets warm."  
A thoughtful hum left Gladio. "You know, I've gotta admit that until today I've always thought that pole dance was pure sexiness and nothing else. But seeing you dance made me realize that it's aesthetic and beautiful."

To his surprise, Ignis smirked at him. "I can do sexy as well. It's no problem with other music and slightly different moves."

Gladio's eyes widened in need. "I wanna see."

Ignis chuckled, suddenly averting his eyes as he got flustered after all. "Not now."  
"Another day?" Gladio asked, full of hope.  
"Maybe," Ignis replied, neither promising nor denying it. Gladio was okay with that. Right now, he believed that Ignis _would_ grant his wish eventually.

When Gladio watched Ignis standing in front of one of the shelves, pondering which bath salt to use, he took in a sharp breath. His lover was shifting his body weight from one leg to the other, the hem of the pastel-green dress shirt accentuating his butt.

Like a moth to the flame, Gladio got drawn towards him, wrapping his arms around Ignis's waist and lying his head on his right shoulder. "You're irresistible," he whispered, his still half-hard cock pressing against his lover.

Surprised, Ignis took in a sharp breath. "Are you certain you're in the mood for a _bath_ right now?"  
"What makes you think I'm not?" Gladio asked teasingly.  
"Just felt like you had a _hard_ time going through with that decision," Ignis replied, leaning back against Gladio's erection.

An appreciative hum left Gladio's lips as he placed a quick kiss on Ignis's neck. "I'll take a bath first, and later I'll take _you_."   
"You're raising my expectations," his lover whispered as he reached for one of the bath salts standing further to the back on the shelf.  
"I won't let you down," Gladio promised, nosing along his lover's neck, relishing that fresh scent. "Have I ever told you that I love your perfume? Smells like citrus and flowers or something like that?"

Wordlessly, Ignis picked up a small bottle and held it up for Gladio to see.  
"Oh." Gladio let go of their embrace and took the bottle out of his lover's hand. "Lime, lilies, amber, and musk," he read out loud. Taking the cap off, he smelled at the perfume bottle. Next, he put his nose against his lover's neck again, inhaling deeply. "Scents better on your skin."  
"Charmer."  
"I'm just honest," Gladio replied with a chuckle, putting the perfume back to the shelf. 

By now, Ignis had picked up a small bottle with bath salt. Taking off the lid, he held it out for Gladio to scent it. Putting his nose closer, Gladio inhaled the fragrance. "Smells good." He watched the small glass in interest. The contents were crystal-like, white and violet, with tiny dried petals. "I've been wondering: Are those self-made?"

"Ah, yes," Ignis replied a bit sheepishly as he walked over to the bathtub after picking up another small brown bottle and some towels. "It's not that different from cooking, and I like to experiment with different fragrances."

As Ignis leaned forward to place the items on a small side table next to the bathtub, his shirt was riding up, giving Gladio an unimpeded view of his butt cheeks. An unmeant groan slipped from Gladio's lips, and his dick twitched in interest.

In amusement, Ignis turned around to look at him, a filigree eyebrow pulled up, a smirk on his lips.

" _Gods_!" Gladio exclaimed, burying his face in his hands as he turned around to calm down his libido. "I'm acting like a horny teenager who has never seen someone else naked."

Ignis chuckled. "It's kind of refreshing, somehow."

Before Gladio could answer, he heard the rustling of fabric, and something soft fell on his head after getting thrown. Pulling the fabric down, he realized that it was Ignis's shirt. Pressing it against his nose, he inhaled, once again taking in the scent of the perfume mixed with his lover's natural fragrance. Behind his back, he heard the lapping of water as Ignis got into the bathtub.

Turning around, he was surprised to see Ignis sitting with his back leaned against the end of the bathtub, pointing at the space in front of him for Gladio to sit down.

"Wait, I'm the _little_ spoon?" Gladio uttered in surprise, yet walked over to the tub anyway.

Again, Ignis pulled up an eyebrow in amusement. "I wasn't aware this had turned into a cuddle session. I thought you were in for a back massage?"

"Maybe I want too much at once," Gladio replied with a simple shrug as he dipped the first foot into the water. As expected of his perfectionist lover, it had the exact right temperature. Slowly, he sat down cross-legged in the middle of the tub and was once again pleasantly surprised about the size of it. Although his knees _were_ resting against the sides of the bathtub, his legs were still completely covered by the water. A content sigh slipped from his lips as the heat warmed up his sore muscles.

Peering back over his shoulder, Gladio watched how Ignis took two washcloths from the side table and drenched them in the water once. Next, he picked up the small brown bottle, dripping the liquid on the washcloths. 

"What's that?"  
"Lavender massage oil," Ignis explained shortly, and Gladio didn't need to ask to know that this was self-made as well.   
Gladio hummed as his lover softly put the washcloths on his shoulders. At once, he felt a pleasant heat radiating from them. 

"Relax a bit and enjoy the heat while I'll quickly wash my hair," Ignis said, and Gladio burst out laughing.  
" _Now_?"  
"Have you seen how I look?" Ignis returned, already picking up the showerhead after putting his glasses on the side table. "It's tousled. It looks terrible."  
"It's ruffled. It's _sexy_."  
"You've read too many porn magazines," his lover said with no ill intent.

With another laugh, Gladio leaned his head back, looking up at the ceiling. "Wash mine as well?"  
"Now, _who's_ the demanding one."  
"In bed, it's totally _you: 'don't stop, deeper, harder,'_ " Gladio repeated with a teasing grin until his face got hit by a stream of water. Spluttering, he moved his head forward, the water only hitting his hair now.  
"You're lucky I love you," Ignis mentioned with a small huff as he turned off the water, his hands already starting to massage some shampoo into Gladio's hair.

He had said it so casually and naturally that Gladio felt his heart warming up. "I really am," he whispered sincerely, relaxing into the touch of Ignis's skillful fingers against his scalp.

In soothing tranquillity, his lover washed their hair, carefully rinsing out the shampoo afterwards. 

Next, Ignis took the washcloths from Gladio's shoulders. Softly, he moved them up and down Gladio's back a few times before he picked up the lavender oil again. Putting some drops into his hands, he started to spread them across Gladio's shoulders and upper back.

Skillful, swift fingers massaged the tanned skin and sore muscles beneath it. "Feels good," Gladio exhaled with a sigh, closing his eyes. 

Relaxing into the touch, he let himself get spoiled by his lover for a while.

He only realized that he had lost track of time when he noticed that the water had gotten colder. Not too cold to have to get out of the bathtub, though.

Ignis had stopped his massage, his fingers lazily drawing patterns on Gladio's back. While a smile, Gladio noticed that his lover was tracing the lines of his tattoo. "Getting distracted?"  
"My apologies," Ignis returned at once, feeling caught.  
"I don't mind. That feels nice as well," Gladio admitted.

A thoughtful hum left his lover's lips as he let his fingertips trail the lines from Gladio's back to his shoulders and upper arms. On the way back, Ignis let his fingernails stroke along the same path, and Gladio took in a sharp breath. 

The swift fingers of Ignis's hand moved down Gladio's back, stopping right above his ass before they stroked back up again. Meanwhile, his lover's right hand had somehow reached Gladio's thigh, curious fingertips exploring the skin. 

When Gladio felt soft lips peppering kisses against his neck, he let out a pleased sigh. 

The touches were soft and fleeting, but Gladio got aroused in no time. Ignis's right hand stroked once more over Gladio's thigh before it moved to his hipline. Curious fingertips stroked along his hipline, fingernails teasing his sensitive skin.

" _Fuck_ ," Gladio moaned, throwing his head back in pleasure as he tried to stop his hips from twitching into the touch. This was riling him up way too quickly.

His own hands longed to touch his lover, but their current sitting position wasn't to his advantage in this quest. "If I don't get to put my hands on you in the next five seconds, I might explode."

With a chuckle, Ignis stood up and somehow managed to gracefully climb over Gladio while turning around. In the blink of an eye, Ignis came to sit down in Gladio's lap, his left hand on his right shoulder. He stretched out his long left leg, slipping it through between Gladio's right thigh and arm. Pulling his right leg up with sheer inhuman flexibility, the ankle of Ignis's right foot rested against the nape of Gladio's neck.

Gladio's dick twitched as Ignis winked at him.

" _Astrals_ ," Gladio exclaimed as his brain had caught up with the situation. "Is this comfortable for you?" he asked as he let his hand travel over his lover's right thigh. His whole skin had turned rosy from the heat of the water. "My leg would feel strained."

"Maybe your leg isn't flexible enough," Ignis replied smoothly and tangled the toes of his right foot into Gladio's hair.

A needy sound left Gladio's lips. "But I bet _your_ leg isn't flexible enough to kiss me on my lips in this position."

Ignis's eyes sparkled, a challenging grin on his face. "And what would I get if you happened to lose that bet?"  
"Anything you want," Gladio promised. 

At once, Ignis leaned forward, pressing their lips together. Gladio moaned into the kiss, trapped between his lover's mouth and his foot. Ignis's hand on his shoulder clenched, indicating that this position was a bit straining on his lover, but that didn't stop Ignis from licking over Gladio's lips one more time before he leaned back. With a smug grin on his face, he said, "I've won the bet."

With a chuckle, Gladio put Ignis's leg from his shoulder. Carefully, he let it slip down to the side of the bathtub. Even if Ignis was flexible, this should be more comfortable for him. "What do you want?"

At once, Ignis leaned forward, placing a kiss against Gladio's neck. Hesitantly, he wrapped his right hand around Gladio's erection beneath the surface of the water. They both shuddered at the first touch. "I want _this_ ," he whispered, slowly stroking his hand up and down, " _inside_ of me." A shaky whine left his lips. " _Astrals_ , it feels _massive_."

"It _is_ ," Gladio replied, a feral feeling of manly pride emerging inside of him. "Think you can take that much?"  
Reaching behind his lover, Gladio teasingly let his finger circle over the sensitive hole.

Ignis leaned back against the touch. "I don't know. None of my toys compares to _this_ size," he admitted, placing more kisses against Gladio's neck while his hand continued to lazily stroke up and down. "But I wanna try. I like them thick."

Riled up by that confession, Gladio slipped a finger inside his lover. He wouldn't go further than this, knowing from experience that water wasn't sufficient as a lubricant, but Ignis was still loose enough from getting fingered earlier.

Wrapping his legs around Gladio's torso, Ignis pulled himself closer into his lap until their arousals touched each other. They both moaned before Ignis licked over his neck.

"In case you are only holding back because of me," Gladio said as he let his free hand travel over his lover's chest, "I don't mind hickeys."

"Don't blame me later," Ignis whispered as he put his hands into Gladio's hair, pulling his head back to bare more of the sensitive skin on his neck. 

A moan left Gladio's lips as he felt his lover's mouth against his neck. Ignis was lapping around with his tongue, sucking until Gladio could feel teeth against his skin. After a kiss, Ignis repeated the process at the exact same spot. 

Gladio's breath stuttered in delight as he moved his hips to rub his erection against his lover's. It was riling him up even more, and he pressed his finger deeper into his lover in search of that specific spot. As the pad of his finger eventually brushed over it, Ignis moaned in delight, hips jerking against him.

"Maybe we should move this to the bed?" Gladio said, softly pinching his lover's nipple.

" _Yes_ ," Ignis exhaled sharply, "before I'll lose my mind."

"I like it when you lose your mind," Gladio whispered into his ear. "It brings out your demanding side, voicing your honest desires."

Ignis leaned back with a pout as he studied Gladio's face in search of an answer to an unspoken question. 

"Hm?" Gladio hummed.  
"You really like that, don't you?"  
"Have I ever lied to you?"  
"No," Ignis replied with a smile. Placing a quick kiss against Gladio's lips, he pulled the stopper from the bathtub to drain the water and stood up.

Stepping out of the tub, he immediately wrapped a towel around his hips, picking up a second one to hold it out for Gladio. "Don't even _think_ about walking through my flat while you are still dripping wet."

With a chuckle, Gladio accepted the towel. Ignis had already picked up another one, using it to dry his hair and his upper body.

Impatiently and in the mood to tease his lover, Gladio wrapped his arms around him from behind, still wet and naked.

"Gladiolus." Ignis clicked his tongue, but there was no real menace behind it. Grinning, Gladio peppered the nape of his lover's neck with kisses. "Dry off, would you?"

"What if I say no?" 

"Then you'll have to stay in the bathroom alone while I'm going to bed," Ignis said without hesitation. Picking up his glasses and one of the washcloths he had used earlier, he left the room, towel still wrapped around his hips. 

"Iggy," Gladio whined as he used his towel to half-heartedly dry off, quickly following after his lover. After half the way, he ran back to grab his phone that lay forgotten in the pocket of his pants. Not that he intended to use it, but his sense of duty towards the Crown told him to always have it at hand in case of an emergency.

He entered the bedroom, towel loosely around his neck. The lights weren't on, and the sun was almost set, painting the room in deep orange colors.

Walking closer to Ignis, he saw what his lover had just taken out from his nightstand.

"Normal size won't fit, Iggy," Gladio said apologetically, peering over his lover's shoulder as he lay his phone down. "With my girth, I need large-sized condoms."  
Turning around to look at him, Ignis first blushed, then paled. "I don't have any others."  
"I have," Gladio replied, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck.

His lover sighed in relief, putting the condoms back into the drawer. Turning back around, he looked skeptical, though. "Why are you so hesitant about this?"  
"Well-"  
" _No_ ," Ignis said, voice sharp as realization dawned. "Tell me that you haven't used the Lucian royal magic that his highness bestowed upon us to-"

Gladio summoned a package of condoms from the Armiger.

"I can't believe you!" Ignis exclaimed. "That power is for summoning _weapons_!"  
"Wait," Gladio replied, holding his hands up in defense. "I know that you're using it to store a travel bag as well. That's not a weapon either."  
"That's for _emergencies_! Like this week had been," Ignis explained, putting his hands on his hips, clad in the towel.

"Well, and I have a travel bag _and_ a box of condoms for emergencies. Like this moment right now," Gladio retorted. When his lover only turned around with a sigh, Gladio frowned. "You're not really mad at me, are you?"

"No." The reply had been immediate.   
"But?" Gladio prompted. 

Ignis said down on the bed, taking a deep breath. "Seeing it just made me realize what we're about to do, and I suddenly flipped because I got nervous."

"Hey," Gladio said softly and put his towel over his lap as he sat down next to his lover. "You know that we don't _have to_ do this, right?"  
"But I want to," Ignis replied at once, looking at Gladio in search of help.  
"Hm, gotta get you back into the mood somehow," Gladio hummed before he grinned, reaching out for his lover. "How about I tickle you until-"  
"Nope," Ignis denied, doing a back-somersault on the bed to avoid Gladio's attack.

With a laugh, Gladio crossed his hands behind his back and fell back. Lying on the soft mattress, he closed his eyes, feet still planted on the ground. His muscles really felt more relaxed after that bath and the massage.

It was quiet for a moment until Ignis spoke up again. "Are _you_ ticklish?"   
"Feel free to find out," Gladio replied with a confident smirk. 

He felt the mattress dipping at his left side as Ignis got closer with a thoughtful hum. 

Swift fingers traveled along the sides of Gladio's torso, exploring the area where his lover was ticklish. "You already tried that part last week," Gladio mentioned with a little snort.

"Maybe I hadn't been thoroughly enough, or you had only held back," Ignis explained his reasoning, alternating his movements between using his whole hand and only his fingertips.

His lover's hands continued to explore Gladio's body, slowly moving up to his armpit. When he heard a disappointed huff, Gladio opened his eyes to grin at his lover. 

"You enjoy teasing me," Ignis said, crossing his arms.  
"I'm not even doing anything, Iggy," Gladio chuckled. "I'm just lying here."  
"Move your arms," his lover instructed, and Gladio pulled his hands away from under his head, resting them loosely against the sides of his body instead. 

At once, curious fingertips were stroking up and down his left arm. After drawing circles on the crook of his elbow, they traveled over his shoulder and up to his neck. 

With a pleasant sigh, Gladio moved his head to the side. Since he liked getting touched around that area, he happily gave Ignis more room to maneuver. The fingers moved further up, softly grazing the lobe of his ear.

"Why are your feet still on the ground?" Ignis asked all of a sudden as if he had found his weak point.

Without a word, Gladio changed the position of his legs. Confidently, he rested the ankle of his right foot on his left knee.

His lover must have already realized that this wouldn't be right either, but that didn't stop him from touching Gladio's foot.

"Already giving up?" Gladio asked when Ignis leaned back with a sigh.  
"No."  
He chuckled. "Always so eager."

Closing his eyes again, Gladio awaited his lover's next try. It didn't take long until he felt fingernails stroking the skin right above his collarbone. 

Slowly, they traveled to his chest, circling around his right nipple. Gladio took in a sharp breath. Ignis continued this teasing motion for a while until he finally rubbed the sensitive bud between his fingers. 

Gladio moaned in pleasure, his hips twitching up once. "Will you keep doing this if I pretend to be ticklish there?"   
As an answer, he got his nipple pinched. Throwing his head back, Gladio moaned once more. 

Swift fingers traveled further down, trailing each line of Gladio's abs before one digit dipped into his navel. Next, Ignis slowly pushed Gladio's towel further down. He circled his hipbone before his fingers moved closer to the middle, stroking across the hipline.

Gladio already felt his neglected cock stirring back to life beneath the towel.

Suddenly, Ignis straddled his lap. Leaning forward, their erections -only separated by the towels- pressed together. Putting his hands on Gladio's chest, Ignis let his thumbs stroke over Gladio's nipples while he placed kisses on his neck. 

" _Fuck_!" Gladio exclaimed, eagerly moving his hips against his lover as he held onto firm ass cheeks. Ignis moaned against his neck, sucking harder on the sensitive skin. Turned on by this unexpected assault, Gladio immediately patted across the bed in search of the abandoned bottle of lube they had left somewhere around here earlier. As he opened the cup, his lover licked over the crook of his neck. 

"You can use your teeth if you want," Gladio suggested as he coated the fingers of his right hand in lube. "I like it a bit rough."

Ignis stopped all of his movements, leaning up to look at his face. "I wouldn't want to hurt you."  
"I'm pretty sure you won't. And you don't _have to_ change anything," Gladio said softly. "I just had a feeling that you were still holding back."

Ignis chewed on his bottom lip until Gladio pulled the towel away to circle his lubed finger over his lover's puckering hole. With a moan, Ignis leaned back down, whispering against his neck, "Tell me if it gets too much."

"You too," Gladio replied with a pleasant hum as he felt Ignis sucking on his neck. Carefully he inserted the first finger into his lover. Ignis took it effortlessly, leaning back into the touch as he already craved more. With a chuckle, Gladio added a second finger. As he made his lover moan, teeth grazed his neck. "Yeah, like that," Gladio encouraged him.

While Ignis sucked on his neck and let his hands fondle Gladio's chest and nipples, Gladio tried to concentrate on the movements of his fingers inside his lover, carefully spreading him. 

Although he had to admit that it was getting a bit difficult to keep a calm mind with Ignis sucking and biting along his neck like that. More than once, he caught himself getting lost in pleasure, his hand stopping its movements. 

His hips twitched up, impatiently, after he had neglected his own erection too often already tonight.

"Can you get up on your knees?" Gladio asked, voice hoarse, as he carefully pulled his fingers out of his lover.

Ignis sucked and nibbled on his collarbone one last time before he followed Gladio's instructions. 

Gladio sat up on the bed, wrapping one arm around his lover's waist. With Ignis kneeling and Gladio sitting, Gladio was at the perfect height for his scheme. Latching his mouth on his lover's nipple, he sucked hard enough to draw a high-pitched moan from him. Quickly, he moved his lubed fingers back to his lover's waiting hole. The new position gave him better access, and he pushed his two fingers back inside, reaching deeper this time.

Ignis moaned again, burying his hands in Gladio's hair as he tried to steady himself. 

Riled up by these sounds and the tugs at his hair, Gladio relentlessly sucked on the sensitive bud, his tongue swirling around it, his teeth grazing over it while his fingers steadily moved in and out of his lover. 

"Go on," Ignis whispered between quick intakes of breaths. Taking this as a sign, Gladio inserted a third finger, spreading his lover even further. 

"Mh, _yes_ ," Ignis moaned, moving his hips to meet the movements of Gladio's fingers while his erection rubbed against him.

Heated, Gladio mouthed along his lover's chest until he reached his other nipple, sucking on it. 

Throwing his head back in delight, Ignis pulled on Gladio's hair. That action only fueled Gladio's arousal, his erection twitching in need of touch and attention.

"If you keep that up," Ignis breathed out, "I won't last."

Reluctantly Gladio let go of Ignis's nipple, resting his forehead against his lover's chest. "I'm getting impatient," he admitted with a whisper.

"Do it," Ignis urged him on, moving his hips faster against Gladio's fingers.

"No, no, no, don't push me," Gladio denied, trying to hold on to his sense of reason. "We've gotta take our time to prepare you."

Usually, Gladio had no problem being patient enough when he was about to take others. On the contrary, he even enjoyed taking his time preparing them, relishing their needy cries and desperate moans. But with Ignis, it was different. When Ignis called out to him, Gladio wanted to fulfill every one of his wishes at once.

" _Please_ ," Ignis whined in need, and Gladio almost lost it. Closing his eyes, he concentrated on moving his fingers inside his lover, spreading him thoroughly.

" _Gladiolus_ ," Ignis begged once more.  
" _Shh_. _You're_ supposed to be the reasonable one of us two." Gladio tried to soothe him by placing kisses on his chest.  
"I _need_ you," his lover repeated before his tone got more demanding again. " _Now_."

" _Fuck_ _!_ " Gladio exclaimed, pulling out his fingers, causing his lover to whine again. After wiping them on the towel, he lay it over the pillow he had grabbed. With one swift move, he lifted Ignis up to place him on the mattress, ass propped up on the pillow. 

Picking up one of his condoms, Gladio ripped the wrapper open with the help of his teeth. Eagerly he pulled it over his aching erection. A groan left him as he watched Ignis lying there, glasses put away on the nightstand, legs pulled up, hole twitching in need, cock already leaking precum. 

Squeezing a large amount of lube onto his cock, Gladio lined himself up against Ignis's waiting hole. At once, his lover wrapped his flexible legs around him, hooking his ankles behind his back. 

"Slowly," Gladio said as a warning, as he felt how Ignis tried to push him closer with his legs. 

Left hand on the bed and right hand on his cock to steady himself, Gladio leaned forward, wanting to be face to face with his lover. After rubbing against his lover's entrance, he carefully pushed in the tip.

Immediately Ignis threw back his head, crying out in surprise. Holding his breath, Gladio fought against his instincts that wanted nothing more than to push further into this sinful tightness.

" _Gladiolus_ ," Ignis called out in need, wrapping his arms around him.  
"You okay?" Gladio asked, already feeling breathless.  
"It's so _thick_ ," his lover replied, squeezing his eyes shut.  
"Is it too much? Should I get back out?" He was already leaning back up again, but Ignis tightened his legs and arms around him, pulling him back down, pushing him in even further.

They both cried out in surprise.   
" _Gladiolus_!" Clenching his teeth, Ignis threw his head from one side to the other, expression convulsed, and Gladio felt him tense around him.  
"Hey, hey," he chanted, resting his left underarm on the mattress, his hand carefully cradling his lover's head. " _Ssh_ , Iggy. Try to calm down. _Breathe_."

Shakingly, Ignis inhaled.   
"Yeah, like that, you're doing good," Gladio praised him, peppering his face with kisses.   
Letting his right hand travel further up, he wrapped it around his lover's erection, stroking up and down a few times.   
With a moan, Ignis took in another deep breath. Opening his green eyes, he looked up.  
"You with me again?" Gladio whispered as he placed a kiss against his lover's cheeks. "Felt like you almost blacked out for a second."

After a long exhale, his lover finally relaxed again. "My apologies, I was-"  
"Overwhelmed?" Gladio asked, unable to hold back a small grin.  
"Yes," Ignis replied honestly, his fingers playing with the hair at the nape of Gladio's neck.

Placing a soft kiss against thin lips, Gladio looked at his lover's eyes. "Should we stop?"  
"No, I'm fine now," Ignis replied with a smile on his lips. "I've gotten used to your size."  
"I'm not even fully inside," Gladio answered almost a bit sheepishly.  
His lover's eyes widened in surprise. " _Astrals_ , you're a challenge."  
"Sorry," Gladio apologized with another quick kiss. "If it's too much, I can-"

"It's _fine_ , Gladiolus," Ignis repeated and moved his hips a bit.  
"Slowly," Gladio reminded him with a whisper.  
"I _know_ , just-" Ignis broke off with a desperate huff. "Get in a bit deeper, would you?"  
A chuckle slipped from Gladio's lips. "Getting demanding again?"  
"I _demand_ you to rub your _massive cock_ against my prostate."

Gladio burst out laughing at this unusual way of speaking coming from his lover. As his body shook with laughter, Ignis experimentally moved his hips again.  
"Relax, and keep breathing," Gladio instructed as he rested his forehead against his lover's, slowly pushing further inside. "Good," Gladio praised as he managed to get deeper without problems.

Once he was finally fully inside, he let out a shaky breath. "You're feeling so good around me, Iggy," he whispered as he started to pepper his lover's face with kisses again.  
Ignis hummed in response, his eyes closed as he relished the feeling. "You're so big."

Experimentally, Gladio started to roll his hips a bit, causing his lover to take in a deep breath. "Good?"  
"Yes. Do it again," Ignis instructed, eyes still closed.   
Gladio repeated the movement, and Ignis moved his hips to meet him.   
" _There_!" Ignis cried out, pulling on Gladio's hair in reflex. With a groan, Gladio moved his hips against the same spot. But this time, he did it a bit harder. "Oh, yes!"

Soon, they found their rhythm. Gladio never pulled out far. Instead, he only focused on rolling his hips a bit to avoid straining his lover. Ignis met his movements with his own hips, leaning up into his touch, moaning every time Gladio pressed against that sweet spot deep inside of him. 

All the time, Ignis kept his legs wrapped around Gladio, his hands tangled in his hair as a chorus of moans and pleas tumbled from his lips. 

Speeding up his movements to earn even more of these delicious sounds, Gladio wrapped his hand around his lover's erection. Ignis cried out in pleasure again, clenching tightly around Gladio's arousal. 

They shared some wet kisses, tongues licking over each other's lips, as they both chased their climax. 

It didn't take long until they came, both of them too far gone to make it last. Ignis reached his orgasm first, spilling himself in Gladio's hands with a loud cry. As his hole clenched up around Gladio's erection, he pulled him over the edge with him.

They were out of breath and sweaty as they traded a few more lazy kisses, giggling as they looked into each other's eyes.

Reluctantly, Gladio pulled out of his lover's tight heat. Taking off the condom, he made a knot in it, lazily letting it drop to the towel that lay next to the bed.

"I don't think I can move," Ignis whispered, eyes already closed, a relaxed expression on his face.  
" _Shh_ , you don't have to," Gladio reassured him, fondly stroking over his hip bone. "I've got you."

Using the washcloth that Ignis had brought with him from the bathroom, Gladio cleaned them up as well as possible. Carefully, he lifted his lover's hips to pull out the towel and the pillow he had propped beneath him. Dropping the towel to the floor, he put the clean pillow beneath Ignis's head. Pulling up the blanket, Gladio lay down next to his lover, putting an arm around him.

Sleepily, Ignis opened his eyes. "I love you," he whispered with a smile on his lips.  
"I love you, too," Gladio replied with a soft kiss.

Closing his eyes, he relaxed into the sheets. He couldn't remember the last time he had been as happy and content as he felt right now. He still couldn't believe that they had finally come to this point. 

It felt like a dream, but it was reality. Filled with happiness, Gladio drifted off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **This chapter is really important to me and the whole story, so I'd love to hear your thoughts about it ♥**  
> 
> 
> \---
> 
> I hope you've enjoyed reading! Feel free to drop a comment, reading your thoughts and impressions keeps me going ♥
> 
> I'm using Twitter on a daily basis, so if you're ever interested in any updates, you know where to look!
> 
> [Check out my Profile to find me on Tumblr or Twitter!](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SophiaHoppia/profile)   
>  [Or simply check out my other fanfictions!](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SophiaHoppia/works)


	20. 14.7. [Sunday] - Domestic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A quiet Sunday before the next exciting week starts!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I always hate stories that end as soon as the couple gets together. So look forward to (at least) one more week of our precious boys ♥

Gladio was still half-asleep as a smile slipped to his lips on Sunday morning. Without opening his eyes, he let his left hand travel over the mattress - finding nothing. Frowning, he tried to remember last night. Ignis _had_ been lying on his left side as they had drifted off to sleep. Had they somehow changed their positions during the night? Exploratory, his right hand reached out for his lover, but there was nothing but sheets.

Panic rushed through his body as he realized that everything might have been nothing but a wet dream again. He sat up with lightning speed, but his brain needed a moment to catch up. As he took a look around, he breathed in relief. It hadn't been a dream. This was Ignis's bedroom, after all. 

Sunlight was shining in through two windows. The bed stood in the darkest corner of the room, but a large potted plant had a place right in front of the window. Gladio smiled fondly. Why had he never noticed before how much Ignis cared about plants? Now that he thought about it, there was one inside his office as well. Gladio just hadn't thought much of it since it was the same kind that also stood in the hallways of the Citadel. 

When Gladio pulled the blanket back, he noticed that he was still naked. Where had he even dropped his clothes? He searched the floor, but, as expected of Ignis, there was nothing. Even the towels from last night were gone.

Standing up, Gladio stretched his whole body once. Relieved, he realized that his muscle pain was gone.

Stark-naked as he was, he grabbed his phone from the nightstand and left the bedroom to go to the bathroom right across the hallway. With a smile, he noticed that Ignis laid out some fresh towels for him. Next to them were Gladio's pants he had dropped here last night before they had taken a bath. Picking them up, he noticed some stains on them. He frowned for a moment before he remembered that he had wiped his hand on it after fingering Ignis. His underwear wasn't much better off with all the precum he had leaked yesterday.

Well, that's what he had his emergency travel bag for. Summoning it from the Armiger, Gladio went through with his morning routine. When he looked into the mirror, a proud grin slipped on his lips as he noticed the hickeys on his neck and on his left collarbone. It felt like visible proof of their connection.

Once he was fresh and clean again, dressed in gray sweatpants and a simple black sleeveless shirt, he left the bathroom.

As he walked towards the large main room, he could already smell something delicious. Following the scent, he walked towards the kitchen. Ignis was standing at the stove, his hair not styled up today. He was wearing another pair of tight black leggings, this time together with a loose pink long-sleeve shirt. It suited him just as well as the pastel-green dress shirt had. Gladio loved to see these different colors on his lover. It was such a nice contrast to his usual black and white work attire - although even that looked sexy on Ignis.

"Morning," Gladio whispered as he stood behind his lover, wrapping his arms around him. After a quick kiss to his cheek, he rested his chin on his shoulder.  
"Good morning," Ignis replied with a chuckle and put some dough into his frying pan. He was making pancakes.

Carefully, Ignis freed himself from Gladio's hug. Walking over to his coffee machine, he silently cooked a cup of coffee for Gladio, adding milk and sugar. With a smile, he handed him the cup before he went back to the stove.

Gratefully, Gladio accepted the cup and took a sip. It tasted different than yesterday's coffee. Ignis must have used one of his many other coffee beans. 

With a smile, he simply stood there and watched his lover. Ignis put another pancake on the pile that had already formed on a plate. Turning off the stove, he distributed the pancakes on two plates. Next, he put some strawberries and jam on them.

"Why are you so quiet?" Gladio asked after a while.  
"I thought you might need some moments of silence after just waking up," Ignis explained and put some powdered sugar over their breakfast.

"You're a blessing compared to my ever-energetic sister," Gladio replied with a chuckle as he remembered all these mornings when his sister had just been talking nonstop while he had still been half asleep.

Ignis chuckled as he held one plate with pancakes and strawberries out for Gladio.  
"Gods, Iggy, I love you so much," Gladio said as he thankfully accepted the plate.  
"The way to a man's heart is through his stomach."

Together, they went over to the dining table. Gladio only now noticed that his black muscle shirt was hanging over the backrest of a chair. Ignis must have picked it up this morning.

Gladio still couldn't believe what had happened yesterday. A wave of happiness rushed over him again, and he was grinning broadly. His lover looked at him, pulling up one of his filigree eyebrows in question. 

"I'm just happy that we've finally made it this far after these last weeks," Gladio admitted honestly.

"My apologies for taking so much time to open up," Ignis said, averting his gaze.

"Iggy, hey, look at me," Gladio requested, reaching across the table to grab his hand. When Ignis's eyes met his own, he said, "It's okay. A man like you is worth the wait."

His lover's cheeks flushed, but he silently nodded. Squeezing his hand one last time, Gladio pulled back again. 

Eagerly he picked up his fork and knife, staring at his pile of pancakes. "This looks so delicious. I can't wait to taste it."

Ignis chuckled, and they began eating their breakfast. By now, Gladio should know that everything that his lover cooked tasted even better than he expected, yet he was once again surprised.

"This is the best breakfast ever," Gladio said as he dug in without holding back.  
"You're exaggerating. I'm sure Jared's breakfasts are in no way inferior to this."  
With a grin, Gladio extended his right leg, his foot traveling up Ignis's shin. "But your company makes everything even better."  
"Is that so?" his lover asked, an eyebrow pulled up. There was a smile on his face.  
"Yeah," Gladio confirmed, pulling his foot back again.

Just as Gladio wanted to take another bite of his delicious breakfast, he received a text message. It probably wasn't urgent, but he decided to check it anyway.

Clarus:  
 _Did you spend the night at Ignis's?_

In confusion, Gladio stared at his phone. Usually, his dad never asked something like this out of nowhere. Could he be worried that Gladio had gotten drunk again? Well, he couldn't blame him after the last weeks. Gladio knew he had messed up more than once.

Gladio:   
_Yeah, I did. Don't worry._

Clarus:  
 _I knew you would score this time ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)_  
 _Regis owes me 10,000 Gil now._

Gladio:  
 _WTF?!_  
 _No, I don't even wanna know._

Putting his phone down, he buried his face behind his hands. When had his dad started to talk to him about his sex life? No matter how open he was about these topics, it was still weird to talk to _his father_ about sex.  
And why had he started using emoticons all of a sudden? And _money_? It couldn't be some kind of bet, could it?

"Is everything alright?" Ignis asked with a worried expression.  
"Yeah," Gladio replied on reflex before he repeated it, more determined this time, "Yeah, just embarrassed."

Clarus:  
 _Won a bet. I knew you two would finally make it this week. Regis said you'd need longer._

Gladio:  
 _Why are you even talking about us?!_

Clarus:  
 _That - you really don't want to know._  
 _Invite him for dinner Friday night. Regis and Noct will be here as well._  
 _I'll stop bothering you two lovebirds now. Enjoy your Sunday and have some fun together._  
 _( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)_  
 _But don't forget to use protection!_

Without replying, Gladio put his phone down again. Ignis was eyeing him warily.  
"Dinner on Friday night. And trust me, you _don't_ wanna know anything else."  
"My curiosity _always_ wants to know, even if it sometimes is better not knowing," Ignis explained based on experience.

With a snort, Gladio pushed his phone across the table. His lover took it up and checked the messages, his cheeks getting more flushed with every word he read.

"Not knowing would have been better, yes," he said in realization and gave Gladio his phone back.

"Told you," Gladio said with a shrug and took a sip of his coffee. "By the way, sorry for only asking now, but you're alright, aren't you?"

His lover met his gaze, confusion in his eyes. "Why wouldn't I be?"  
"Cause you took a massive cock up your ass yesterday," Gladio said, unable to hold back a grin.

"It's okay," Ignis whispered, picking up his coffee cup to hide his embarrassed face.  
"Just _okay_?" Gladio asked, getting a bit worried.   
"I'm still feeling it a bit," Ignis admitted. "But it doesn't hurt. Really."

Gladio knew that feeling. He had experienced it all the times he went a bit too fast or took a bit too much. "Are you sure?"  
"Gladiolus." Ignis put his cup down and looked at him. "I might have been a virgin when it comes to sleeping with men, but it wasn't the first time I had _something_ in me. I know how much I can take."

A smirk found its way to Gladio's lips. "I know. I wouldn't have taken you yesterday if I hadn't known that you're always taking sex toys."

" _Always?!_ " Ignis repeated, flustered. "You make it sound as if I'd do it _daily_."  
" _I_ jerked off every day this week," Gladio replied with a grin. "How often do you usually do it?"

It was just too adorable how Ignis's ears were getting red as well, as he tried to look anywhere but at Gladio.

"Okay, if not _usually_ , then how about this week? I _know_ that you've done it on Tuesday. I've _heard_ you," Gladio whispered as he remembered their phone sex. Teasingly, he let his foot stroke up his lover's leg again. 

"And yesterday morning," Ignis suddenly admitted with his eyes on his breakfast, though.  
"Huh, not Friday night?" Gladio asked in serious interest.  
"I had been too exhausted when I arrived at home."  
"Well, no surprise after that week," Gladio replied, suddenly not in the mood to tease his lover anymore, pulling his foot back once more.

They continued their breakfast in silence, and Gladio studied his lover. The flush was slowly fading from his face again. After a while, Ignis had taken out his phone and started to read the news. While Gladio had no idea if the other really was interested in that, he realized that as the royal advisor, he had to be informed about everything that was going on. And while the Citadel had its own source of news, it wouldn't hurt to know what else had been made public. 

"Everyone keeps speculating why Iniustus lost his seat in the council," Ignis mumbled after a while, his eyes still on his phone.   
Gladio looked up in surprise. "There weren't any details publicized yet?"  
"No, not until next week," Ignis confirmed.   
"Good thing, I didn't spill any secrets no matter how often Domicella asked," Gladio replied with a relieved sigh.  
"She can be quite nosy," Ignis mentioned with a small smile. "You don't want to know how often she tries to peek at my notes during meetings - even though I've told her not to."

Gladio casually took another sip from his coffee. "That's the problem."  
"Hm?" Ignis looked up from his phone with a frown.  
"Don't _tell_ her," Gladio explained, setting his cup back down. "You have to _order_ her what to do or not to do."  
"I can't do that."  
"You can," Gladio replied with a smirk. "When you use your sharp gaze and your strict tone, _everyone_ submits to your instructions."

Flustered, Ignis looked at him. "How do you always manage to turn a perfectly normal conversation into something sexual?"  
Gladio leaned back in his chair, feigning innocence. "I just told you how to deal with a curious coworker. _You're_ the one associating that with Dom/sub play."

"Do you have many experiences with that?" Ignis whispered, gaze averted, but Gladio grinned as he noticed the interest in his voice.  
"Not that much, but I've tried some stuff."  
"And your conclusion was?"

With a grin, Gladio took another bite from his pancakes. Then, he tried to sum up his preferences. "It's not a lifestyle I'd be into 24/7, but it can be a nice change of pace in the bedroom. I only like it a bit rough: biting, spanking, hair-pulling-" he licked his lips as he noticed Ignis drawing in a sharp breath. "Being so rough that it draws blood is a no-go for me, though. Same with all the humiliating stuff. I'm more into it for the powerplay: focusing only on giving out orders or following them, pleasing the other, or getting pleased. And while I enjoy teasing, my impatience keeps getting in the way of it." He chuckled before he took a sip from his coffee. "Oh, and I like all of these things as a dom or a sub."

Ignis took in another sharp breath. His cheeks were deep-red as he said, "And you think, I could-"  
"For _now_ , you are too nervous and shy because everything is new to you - which is totally fine. But I can imagine you taking on both roles as well." Gladio almost moaned as his thoughts drifted off. "You _would_ enjoy teasing me - don't think I have forgotten about that fanfiction where Liber teases Aegis, who isn't allowed to move." Ignis's eyes nervously darted around before he picked up his coffee cup with two shaky hands to take a sip. Gladio grinned at the cute display. "And you would enjoy following my orders if I honestly _praised_ you for being such a _good boy_."

Ignis spluttered in embarrassment, coughing against his coffee cup. "You're teasing me," he whispered eventually. 

"I've only answered your question," Gladio replied with a shrug. He knew that Ignis wasn't up for that kind of stuff yet. But his lover hadn't denied anything, and interest had shimmered in his eyes. For now, that was enough. 

To get out of the embarrassing situation, Ignis picked up his phone. His cheeks soon lost their red color as his eyes scanned the different news stories. 

After taking another bite of his pancakes, Gladio continued to observe his lover. He looked so peaceful as he sat there, his cup in hand, slowly sipping his coffee. The pink shirt still was an unusual color on him, but he wore it so well. Gladio couldn't wait to see what other beautiful outfits his lover had.

"You're staring," Ignis said, although his eyes had never left his phone.  
"Sorry," Gladio apologized, feeling caught. "I'm just not used to seeing you in anything but a dress shirt outside of training sessions."

Putting down his phone, his lover pulled up an eyebrow in disbelief. "Did you think I'd wear them at home as well?"  
"Actually-" Gladio rubbed the back of his neck. "Yes."

"Well, good for you that I _don't,_ " Ignis returned with a smirk.  
"Huh?" Gladio uttered in confusion as he suddenly felt Ignis's foot reaching out for his leg this time.

"Aren't tiny buttons your worst nemesis?"  
"Oh?" Resting his arms on the table, Gladio leaned forward. "Did you have anything in mind for today that requires taking off your clothes?"  
"Maybe," Ignis replied vaguely, leaning forward as well, although he was already starting to look nervous again.  
"Tell me your dirty thoughts," Gladio whispered, his eyes never leaving his lover's face. 

When Ignis got too flustered to answer, Gladio reached across the table to take his hand, soothingly stroking it. "No need to be shy."

"You had mentioned before that you wouldn't mind _switching_ if your partner was up to it," Ignis said eventually. "If I remember correctly."

"Gods, yes," Gladio exhaled in need. "Fuck me, Iggy."

Standing up to walk closer to his lover, Gladio didn't get very far as his phone suddenly rang.

Ignis flinched in surprise, and Gladio stared at the display of his phone. "Ah, _fuck_. I forgot to contact Nyx. Sorry, I've gotta take this," Gladio said apologetically, but Ignis nodded in understanding. 

"Hey," he said after picking up the call.   
"You had promised to call me once you are back, but I haven't heard anything from you yet," his best friend said. "Is that a good sign or not?"

"Well, I'm not back yet," Gladio explained. "I'm still at Iggy's flat."  
"Wait," Nyx paused a moment before his voice took on its usual teasing note. "You've spent the night?"  
"Yes," Gladio confirmed.

"In his bed?" Nyx asked seductively.  
"In his bed, yes," Gladio emphasized, his eyes never leaving his lover, who eyed him warily.

Nyx playfully moaned in delight. " _In his ass_?"   
"Not the whole night, but yes. I've been-" Gladio looked into the sharp green eyes as he accentuated every one of his next words "- _in his ass_."

"Gladiolus!" Ignis hissed, flustered, whereas Nyx only laughed.

"And now I wanna feel him in _my_ ass," Gladio added even before his friend had a chance to speak up again. Winking at his lover, Ignis almost choked on his coffee.  
" _Oh, my gods._ I won't bother you two any longer. Call me if you need a third dick," Nyx added before he hung up.

"He said we should call him in case that we need a third dick," Gladio repeated as he put his phone back into his pocket, and Ignis flinched. Gladio's eyes never left his lover as he slowly walked around the table like a predator closing in on his prey.

"So," Gladio whispered seductively and leaned down to his lover's ear. "You've said something about switching?"

"Right now?" Ignis asked, his face already overheating. "I haven't even finished my coffee."

"I bet that's not even your _first_ cup today," Gladio chuckled as he leaned against the table. "I could put on a show for you while you enjoy your coffee."

The moment when Ignis's eyes flickered to him in interest was the moment Gladio knew he had won. "How do you want me?"

Ignis's cheeks lit up even further.

" _Where_ do you want me?" Gladio asked since that question was probably easier to answer.

"Bedroom?" Ignis whispered as if he feared that his response wouldn't suffice.

"Alright," Gladio said, already getting on the way. "Don't forget to bring your coffee cup."

Once he arrived in the bedroom, Gladio grabbed his chin in thought. Actually, he had no idea how to do this. Since Ignis was such a nervous mess, it was probably better that he took up the reins. But further than that, he didn't have a plan yet. 

While he didn't mince his words, he knew that he wasn't a master of seduction. He neither had a sexy voice like Nyx or a flexible body like Ignis.

When he decided that he would just go with the flow, Ignis joined him in the bedroom. He threw a towel that he must have picked up in the bathroom to the bed. Sitting down on the mattress, Ignis leaned against the headboard, long legs crossed, coffee cup in his hands. His eyes were fixed on Gladio, who still stood in the middle of the room. "Well, put on a show."

A grin spread over Gladio's face. "Do you have any idea how much it riles me up that you have this sweet, shy side to you yet also this sexy, demanding one?"

"I," Ignis blinked, bringing his coffee cup up to hide his upcoming flush, "wasn't aware I had that impact on you, no."

"You're seducing me just by sitting there, Iggy," Gladio whispered. With one smooth move, he took off his shirt, throwing it to the side. Gladio put a hand on his stomach, tracing his abs. "I love how you look at me with your green, piercing eyes." Slowly he moved his hand further up until he reached his chest. "You have no idea how many times I've touched myself thinking about you looking at me like that."

It was the truth. And the moment Gladio realized this was the moment he knew how he'd do it. Just like he had said, he would put on a show for Ignis. He would touch himself - either until he came or until Ignis decided to join him.

"I have always wondered where you would touch me," Gladio said, letting his hand stroke over his upper body.  
"Everywhere," Ignis whispered before he took a sip of his coffee.  
Impatient as Gladio was, he took that as a chance to take off the rest of his clothes as well.

Choking on his coffee, Ignis coughed a few times. "That's going fast."  
"I'm not patient when I'm on my own," Gladio admitted. 

As his hands, once more, roamed over his torso, he observed Ignis's reactions. When Gladio brushed over his nipples, there was a short sparkle in his lover's eyes. With a grin, he brought his hands back to the sensitive buds, rubbing them between two fingers. Gladio's dick was growing in interest.

Ignis took in a sharp breath and crossed his legs the other way around. 

Without stopping the movements of his fingers, Gladio slowly moved closer to Ignis. Facing him, he sat down in the middle of the bed. Now that he had gotten closer, Ignis averted his eyes, nerves getting the better of him.

"Watch me, Iggy. Please," Gladio begged, a bit needy. When shy green eyes looked at him again, Gladio grinned. While his left hand kept on massaging his nipple, he let his right one slowly travel further down. He could see that Ignis's eyes were going down as well, following the movements of Gladio's hand. Gladio's dick twitched in interest before he wrapped his hand around. Ignis pulled up his long legs, hiding the bulge that had formed in his lap. 

A quiet but long moan slipped from Gladio's lips as he stroked his growing erection. "How should I do it, Iggy?" he asked, and his lover inhaled sharply. "Fast? Teasingly?"  
Before he could suggest more variations, Ignis had already answered. "I wish to see how you usually do it."

"Hard and fast, then," Gladio replied with a grin, and he sped up his movements. Another moan slipped from his lips, and his eyes fell closed for a short moment as he relished the sensation. 

Watching his lover's reaction again, Gladio noticed how Ignis had started to curl and uncurl his toes. A grin slipped to Gladio's lips at these signs of impatience and arousal. Ignis was enjoying this even though Gladio wasn't doing a good job. Maybe they should have started some sexy music, so he could have tried to striptease. Yet then again, that just wasn't him. Gladio wasn't in the mood to tease. He was in the mood to fuck.

"Lube," he requested with a deep growl. Ignis took in a sharp breath, his cheeks heating up further. Opening the drawer of his nightstand, he took out the bottle of lube and threw it on the bed.

Greedily, Gladio picked it up. After coating his fingers with it, he winked at Ignis. His lover twitched, cheeks flushed, but he didn't avert his gaze. 

_Good_.

With a grin, Gladio leaned back to lie on the bed. Shamelessly, he pulled up his legs to give his lover the perfect view of his lower regions. 

Ignis took three sips from his coffee at once.

Wrapping his left hand around the base of his cock, Gladio let his right one travel further down. He stroked over his puckering hole a few times to spread some of the lube before he inserted his first finger. 

Ignis took a sharp breath, adjusting his sitting position. Gladio threw him a knowing grin, but his lover didn't even notice it, his eyes fixed on Gladio's hands.

Steadily, Gladio put his finger in and out, relaxing his body as he tried to get used to the intrusion. His left hand lazily stroked along his cock. He would love to rub himself off faster, but he didn't intend to come before he had Ignis's cock buried inside of him. 

Impatiently, he pushed a second finger into his hot tightness. For a moment, he tensed because of the stretch, but then he relaxed again with a sigh. 

As his body had adjusted to the additional finger, Gladio moved them back and forth, spreading them.

_Gods_ , he hated that part. He wanted a dick or nothing inside.

With a sigh, he silently told himself that he _was_ doing this to get a dick inside. Closing his eyes, he tried to imagine his lover's long and curvy dick. His own erection twitched in interest. As he started to speed up the movements of his left hand, a needy moan slipped from his lips, and the fingers of his right hand got slower. 

It took him a moment to realize that. 

Reluctantly, he let his left hand rest again. Lifting his hips up from the bed, he tried to change the angle as he moved his right hand instead. His fingers were rubbing over puckering walls, but he just didn't manage to hit his sweet spot. 

As he rested his hips on the bed again, a frustrated groan slipped from his lips. 

With a loud sigh, Ignis put his coffee cup on the nightstand. "You're actually not great at doing this to yourself, are you?"  
"Huh?" Gladio only now realized that he had been so focused on his task that he hadn't even looked at his lover these last seconds. 

Scooting closer, Ignis nudged Gladio's right wrist after picking up the bottle of lube. "Move."  
Perplexed, Gladio took out his fingers and watched how his lover coated his own. 

Kneeling next to Gladio, Ignis put his left hand on Gladio's knee. Holding his gaze, the slender fingers of his right hand stroked over Gladio's clenching hole _once_ before he pushed two of them inside.

The delightful hum that tumbled from Gladio's lips turned into a deep moan as his lover managed to hit his prostate with the first thrust. Wiggling and spreading his fingers, Ignis moved them back and forth, not once missing that sweet spot.

" _Fuck_!" Gladio exclaimed, his hips twitching up against the touch. "How can you-" another moan tumbled from his lips, breaking off his sentence. How could his lover be so proficient? Sure, he had practice from fingering himself and skillful hands in general, but this was something else.

" _Iggy!_ " A needy whine escaped his lips as Ignis inserted a third finger. His lover was alternating his movements. Sometimes his thrusts were hard and fast, then they turned long and slow, fingers wiggling and spreading. Yet, no matter how he moved, he always hit that place that turned Gladio into a moaning mess.

Gladio felt like melting beneath these proficient moves. His whole body was feeling hot, his breathing speeding up. 

Ignis never averted his gaze, looking at Gladio's face the whole time. Gladio felt his dick twitching in need under this steady gaze and these skillful fingers, precum already dripping from the top.

" _Astrals_ ," Gladio exclaimed between panting moans. "I'm ready, I'm ready!"  
"Are you certain?" Ignis asked, never stopping his movements.  
"Yes, _fuck_." Gladio threw back his head as his prostate got hit once again. "Iggy, I need your cock inside me. Now."

His lover pulled back out, wiping his fingers on the towel before he crawled over to the head of the bed. After lifting his hips, he slipped out of his leggings and underwear. Next, he opened the drawer of his nightstand and took out a condom.

Gladio sat back up, crawling closer. He still had no idea _how_ Ignis wanted to do this. Should Gladio ride him or just lay down? When his lover failed to open the wrapper twice, fingers shaking from nervousness, Gladio took it from his hands. "Let me," he said softly. Biting the edge of the wrapper with his teeth, he ripped it open. 

Carefully, he lay his hand against Ignis's chest and pushed him back to rest against the headboard. The fabric of the pink shirt felt soft beneath his fingers. At the same time, he was moving in to kiss him. While their tongues danced with each other, Gladio pulled the condom over his lover's erection. Ignis's breath stuttered at the touch. While sucking on his lover's bottom lip, Gladio managed to grab the bottle of lube from the bed. Opening the cap, he squeezed some of the transparent substance on Ignis's erection. Using his hand to spread it, he stroked over his lover's arousal a few times.

Breaking their kiss, he looked into timid green eyes. "Ready?"  
"What should I-"   
" _Shh_ , just let me do it," Gladio offered since he noticed just how nervous his lover was. "Alright?"

After a confirmative nod, Gladio put a pillow on the headboard behind Ignis's head and moved his legs to straddle his lover's lap. He knew that it didn't look elegant, but that wasn't the point right now. With his left hand, he gripped the headboard for better support. While Gladio lined Ignis's cock up against his hole, his lover rested his hands on Gladio's hips. 

Carefully, Gladio lowered his body, burying the tip of Ignis's cock in his clenching hole. Taking a deep breath, Gladio did his best to relax his muscles.

" _Astrals_ ," Ignis exhaled, his breath speeding up in anticipation, his eyes turned towards the point of their connection.  
"Feels good?" Gladio asked with a chuckle.  
"Yes," his lover confirmed before he looked at Gladio, hunger in his eyes. "More?"

"Whatever you wish, Iggy," Gladio replied with a smirk. Focusing on his breathing, he slowly pushed down, taking the rest of his lover in one go.

" _Gods_ ," Ignis exclaimed, his fingers digging into the skin of Gladio's hips as he desperately clung to him.   
"I'm surprised your hips didn't twitch up," Gladio mentioned honestly. "Well done, Iggy."  
His lover whined after the unexpected praise. 

"Move?" Ignis asked, careful yet not without need.   
With his left hand still on the headboard, Gladio moved up his hips as far as possible before he slowly moved them down again.  
His lover took in a sharp breath.

With a grin, Gladio went up once more, but this time, he went down _faster_.   
" _Astrals!_ " Ignis's hips twitched up, and he threw his head back in pleasure, hittingthe pillow that Gladio had placed there in precaution.   
"Yeah," he whispered against his lover's ear. "Move your hips, Iggy."

With a groan, Ignis complied. Hesitantly, he rolled his hips. It was a bit unsteady at first, but soon they found their rhythm. 

With their mouths against each other, Gladio moaned into the kiss. Ignis's cock had a perfect size: neither too thick nor too thin, and it was long enough to fill him up so deeply. It felt good, filling him up nicely.

Gladio let his right hand sneak beneath Ignis's shirt, his thumb caressing the left nipple. With a moan, his lover broke their kiss.

"Suck on my neck?" Gladio asked and moaned as well when he felt Ignis sucking on his sensitive skin. "Yeah, like that. Feels good."

Ignis's cock twitched inside him, and Gladio grinned.

"You're doing _so good_ , Iggy," he continued to praise him, and the other moved his mouth to bite into his shoulder. "Fuck, yes!" As the pleasurable pain radiated from the spot, Gladio sped up the movements of his hips. 

"Gladiolus," Ignis whispered, lifting his head to exchange another wet kiss.

Afterwards, Gladio put his hands on his lover's shoulders. Leaning further back, he changed the angle. A deep moan left him as his lover's hardness brushed against his prostate with every thrust. "Keep going," he instructed, lifting his hips to meet his lover's thrust.

"You're so _tight_ ," Ignis exclaimed, squeezing his eyes shut. "I can't-" his lover broke off as the movements of his hips got more erratically "-not much longer."

"Gods, you're so hot, Iggy, you're doing so good," the praise had slipped from his lips unintended, but it helped to drive his lover even closer towards his climax. "Touch my dick?" Gladio asked since his own hands still clung to Ignis's shoulders, holding himself so he wouldn't fall back on the bed.

Long, slim fingers wrapped around his hard erection and Gladio moaned in delight. "Yeah, stroke it." Ignis moved his hand up and down, but there was no real rhythm. His lover was already too far gone, chasing his own orgasm. 

Watching Ignis's face graced with pleasure and need, Gladio did his best to clench his muscles, sucking his lover deeper into him. 

"Gladiolus, I-" a desperate moan left his lover's lips.   
"Yeah, Iggy. You're doing great," Gladio enticed his lover even further with his praise. "You're so good for me."  
"I can't-" Ignis warned him one last time, his hips desperately twitching up into Gladio's hot tightness.  
"Come for me, Iggy," he said, and his lover needed only two more thrusts until he had reached his climax. Head thrown back against the pillow at the wall, a long cry left his thin lips.

Gladio kept moving his hips, riding his lover through it.

Letting Ignis's spent cock eventually slip out of him, Gladio leaned forward. Sitting down on Ignis's lap, he buried his head in the crook of his lover's neck. Gladio wrapped his hand around his neglected erection with a needy moan, desperately stroking it.

"My apologies," Ignis mumbled not shortly after. "Let me?"  
Reluctantly, Gladio stopped the movements of his own hand. "Hurry," he whispered as impatience was overtaking him. 

Immediately slim fingers wrapped around his hardness, causing Gladio to moan in delight. "Oh, yes."   
Carefully not to leave any mark, Gladio sucked on Ignis's neck.  
Ignis whispered next to his ear, "Like this?"  
"Squeeze it more," Gladio instructed, and Ignis tightened his grip. 

A pleased moan tumbled from his lips, and he kissed his way up to his lover's lips. Ignis opened his mouth willingly, their tongues once again meeting in an intimate dance.  
"Faster," Gladio begged as he broke their kiss again. He was so close. But at this rate, he wouldn't be able to get over the edge.

Ignis sped up his movements, but the rhythm wasn't the best. A desperate growl tumbled from Gladio's lips.  
"My apologies," Ignis said at once, squeezing almost too hard as he suddenly tried to make up for it with effort. "The angle isn't really-"

With another loud groan, Gladio lifted his hips, and Ignis pulled his hand back in surprise. Turning around, Gladio sat back down with his back against his lover's chest. Leaning his head back, he took Ignis's wrist, leading it towards his erection again. "There. Now just do it as if you would do it to yourself."

After a few nervous strokes, Ignis eventually found a good rhythm, and Gladio released a pent-up breath. "Yeah, that's good." Closing his eyes, he focused on the feeling.

In addition, the swift fingers of his lover's left hand came around his chest to massage his nipple. Gladio's hips twitched as more sparks of arousal rushed through his body, his breathing speeding up. "Circle the head more," he instructed, and Ignis cupped the head of his erection, smearing precum down along with his movements.

"Faster," Gladio said impatiently when he finally felt that familiar heat coming up inside of him. "I'm close," he mumbled, breathing fast.

Ignis tightened his grip, speeding up his movements ever further. His left hand left Gladio's chest, and just as he was wondering where it had gone, something grabbed his hair and pulled his head back in one sharp motion.

A loud cry left his lips as his orgasm hit him harder than expected, hips jerking up from the bed. 

His toes were curling, and he had his eyes squeezed shut as he rode out the feeling, endorphins rushing through his body.

" _Fuck!_ " he exclaimed as he slowly regained his breath.  
"Was that-" Ignis asked hesitantly as his soft fingertips carefully massaged Gladio's scalp.

Gladio grinned as he finished his lover's sentence. "-the best way to finish it off? Hell, yeah."

A relieved smile found its way to Ignis's lips. "I'm glad."  
Gladio hummed in delight. "Sorry for getting impatient in the end," he whispered as he slowly came down from all these endorphins.

"Don't mention it," Ignis replied at once. "I know how frustrating it can get. My apologies for coming too early."

"It's okay, Iggy," Gladio said honestly. Picking up his lover's hand, he placed a kiss against it. "It was your first time. You did well."  
"I promise to get better."  
"Guess that means we have to _practice_ as often as possible," Gladio returned with a teasing grin on his face.  
"You never get enough, do you?" Ignis asked with a chuckle.  
"Of you? Never."

After a short moment of silence, Ignis spoke up again. "Shall we clean up?"  
"Five more minutes," Gladio begged, closing his eyes. He really felt exhausted.  
"Alright."

Gladio rested his eyes for a moment until he heard his lover laugh.  
"Hm?" Opening his eyes, he saw that Ignis had picked up his phone with his clean left hand. Holding it further down for Gladio to see, his eyes fell on that selfie they had taken yesterday after pole dancing. 

He groaned. "You're still looking at that?"  
"It's cute," Ignis stated.  
"It's _horrible_ ," Gladio replied with a snort.  
"Should we get a third opinion?"  
A chuckle left Gladio's lips. "If you insist on it."   
If Ignis wanted to show the photo to Noct, he could do that. Even if Noct might laugh at him for a while, Gladio would eventually get it back to him - during their next training session at the latest.

Ignis chuckled, holding his phone once again down for Gladio to see.

Nyx:  
 _Beauty and the Beast._

A groan left Gladio's lips. "You've shown it to _Nyx_? He'll tease me about that forever!"  
"Now, now, I'm sure it won't be that bad."  
"He has probably already cut out my stupid face and set it as my new contact picture."

When Ignis didn't reply, Gladio looked up at him. "Iggy?"  
"He _might have_ done what you have expected."  
A long sigh left Gladio's lips.  
"My apologies," Ignis said, running his fingers through Gladio's hair. "Will it help if I tell you that, in my opinion, you really do have a cute expression on that picture?"  
"A bit," Gladio replied, closing his eyes.

They kept lying there, Gladio relishing the touch of Ignis's skilled fingers. He could get used to this. With Ignis by his side, he felt warm and secure.

Suddenly, he opened his eyes in realization. "I haven't even taken off your buttonless shirt."  
Breathy giggles tumbled from his lover's lips. "Is that your only concern?"  
"That, and," Gladio placed a quick kiss against his lover's neck, "it's not like I _want_ to leave, but how long can I stay? I don't want to ruin any plans you had for this Sunday."

"I really have to check up on Noct today," Ignis announced with a sigh. "But I'm sure he wouldn't mind if you accompanied me."

Gladio sat up to turn around and look at his lover. "Only if _you_ don't mind. You don't have to feel obliged to do everything together with me from now on."

After chewing on his bottom lip, Ignis whispered, "I would like it if you would spend another night." Taking a deep breath, he added, "My apologies. I'm usually not a clingy person-"  
With a kiss against thin lips, Gladio broke his lover's apology off. "I _want_ to stay until tomorrow."

They smiled at each other before they eventually got out of bed. Gladio was a bit disappointed that Ignis offered him to use the bathroom first instead of just joining him, but he wouldn't push him. 

After they had cleaned up, Ignis changed into some dark blue dress pants and a white dress shirt with thin blue vertical stripes.

His lover picked up some ingredients and put them in a bag, intending to cook lunch at Noct's apartment. 

They drove to Gladio's home first, and Ignis waited in the car -too shy to face Clarus today- while Gladio quickly picked up some stuff. Iris wasn't happy that he already left again, but after giving her a long hug, she stopped pouting.

Gladio left his travel bag in the car as they arrived at the prince's apartment. 

Together they went into the living room. It took Noctis one look at the hickeys on Gladio's neck and another look at Ignis's smiling face before he wrapped his arms around both of them in a rare emotional gesture. "I'm so happy for you!"

"Thank you, Noct," Ignis replied with an honest smile.

Gladio wrapped his long arms around the two men and squeezed them against his broad chest with a carefree laugh.   
Ignis yelped in surprise, whereas Noctis immediately fidgeted, trying to gain some distance again. "Let me go, you big hugging monster!"

"Your insults are on the same level as those of my little sis," Gladio replied with a snort but let them go nonetheless.

When Noctis pouted, Gladio laughed again. 

Meanwhile, his lover took a look around the living room.  
"Is Prompto not around this weekend?"

For a second, Gladio was afraid that Ignis had stepped on a metaphorical landmine, and Prompto was meeting with Novus instead of Noctis again.  
"He's cleaning up the house since his parents will be home from Wednesday to Friday," the prince explained.  
"How long had they been gone this time?" Ignis asked.  
"Four months," Noctis replied before a small smile slipped to his lips, although his eyes looked sad. "He's really excited to see them again. He didn't talk about anything else yesterday."   
"That's nice," Ignis replied with the same kind of gloomy expression on his otherwise smiling face.  
Gladio shook his head as he watched these two. " _We_ have our family dinner on Friday as well," he reminded them.

Two pairs of widened eyes turned to look at him. He pulled up an eyebrow, but they only shook their heads, eyes sparkling as they smiled for real.

"I'll start cooking," Ignis said eventually.   
"Need some help?" Gladio offered.  
"That's not necessary," his lover immediately declined. When Gladio frowned, afraid that Ignis was only being humble again, his lover added, "You could play some video games. I like to watch."

A teasing grin appeared on Gladio's face as he remembered his lover's eyes on him as he had touched himself earlier. "Oh yeah, I know. You love to watch _me playing_."

"Gladio!" Noctis exclaimed, looking just as flustered as Ignis. "You can't go from calling us _family_ to telling me _these_ things in like five seconds! That's like walking in on my parents making out! Can you imagine how that feels?"

Gladio's grin dropped as his voice got serious. "Don't have to _imagine_ that since it happened often enough. At least one of our dads might have a kink about not doing this in the bedroom or about getting walked in on."

" _For fuck's sake, Gladio!_ " Noctis exclaimed, tearing his hair out. "Stop making this _worse_!"

"Language, Noct," Ignis said in exasperation. Suddenly, his sharp green eyes looked at Gladio. He didn't need to voice his thoughts for Gladio to know that he'd better shut up now. 

Shaking his head, Noct walked over to the kitchen counter, where Ignis had started to take out the ingredients they had brought. "What's on the menu?"

"Rosemary potatoes with-"  
Noct's eyes lit up before Ignis had even finished. "Have you ever eaten these potatoes, Gladio? They are even better than fries!"   
"Of course they are," Ignis said matter-of-factly, already rolling up his sleeves to start working in the kitchen. "Because I don't _drench_ these poor potatoes in deep-frying fat."   
"How _do_ you do it?" Gladio asked, still surprised that Noctis praised a _vegetable_ dish.  
"After cutting them, I simply put them in the oven with rosemary, garlic, salt, and a bit of olive oil," his lover explained, and Gladio was already starting to feel hungry.

"Sorry," Noctis said suddenly, "I had interrupted you, Iggy. Rosemary potatoes and?"  
"Meatballs with tomato sauce," Ignis completed listing their meal.  
"I _love_ meatballs!" Gladio's face glowed with joy.  
"I know, darling," Ignis replied.

Gladio's eyes widened in surprise. "Say that again."  
"I know," Ignis repeated with a whisper.  
"No, no, the other word." Gladio walked up to his lover with a longing gaze. "Come on, repeat it! Please, Iggy, _babe, snuggle-bug-"_  
"Snuggle-bug?" Ignis pulled up an eyebrow in amusement.  
" _Sugar honey pumpkin pie_?"  
"You're being ridiculous." 

Gladio pouted as his lover ignored him to peel potatoes instead. 

The prince was sitting on the couch, rolling his eyes at the display. After a while, though, he got up. Picking up his gamepad, he looked at Gladio. "Should we continue that game we started on Thursday?"

"Yeah, let's play," Gladio confirmed. Intending to walk to the couch, he turned around. Before he got there, however, his eyes fell on the potted plants. Walking towards the window wall, Gladio came to a halt next to the first plant. Noctis frowned when Gladio just stood there, pointing at the plant while he eagerly stared at his lover.

Ignis looked at him once but averted his gaze again. Patiently, Gladio waited while his lover continued to peel potatoes. After a moment, Ignis's eyes fell on him again. His lover clicked his tongue. "Sinister."

With a happy beam, Gladio walked to the next plant. Again, it was silent for a while until his lover gave in to Gladio's persistence.

"Medietas," Ignis stated without looking up from his task. Before Gladio had even reached the last one, Ignis added, "Dexter."

Noct's eyes widened in realization. "Wait, the plants even have _names_?"  
Ignis nodded, biting down on his bottom lip.  
" _Shit_ ," the prince exclaimed.  
" _Language_ , Noct," Ignis replied, and Gladio had to snort. It really was like an innate reaction.

"And I didn't even remember to water them this week." Noct's shoulders were slumped. "Sorry, Iggy. I'll take better care of them from now on."  
"Thank you, Noct. I would appreciate it."

Feeling proud to have resolved that issue, Gladio sat down on the couch. Together with Noct, he played the video game they had started on Thursday. Ignis watched from the kitchen, sometimes even adding his thoughts about the game. 

As always, the food turned out to be magnificent, and they spent a cozy Sunday afternoon together.

When they returned to Ignis's flat, they had intended to watch a movie on the couch, but somehow they had ended up kissing each other. 

Before things could turn too heated, they relocated to the bed. Just like the night before, Ignis was eager to feel Gladio's cock inside of him. Gladio had -reluctantly- tried to talk him out of it, afraid to hurt him if they overdid it, but his lover insisted that he was fine. While in the beginning, Ignis had demanded what he needed, he soon turned into a shy, flustered mess again. 

When his lover clung to him, long flexible arms and legs wrapped around him, sweet little cries and moans tumbling from his lips, Gladio couldn't help but shower him with affectionate kisses and reassuring whispers.

If Gladio was honest, though, he would prefer it a bit rougher. But with Ignis still being new to this and the massive size of Gladio's cock, it was reasonable to take it slow. After all, Gladio had no intention of hurting his lover, and it wasn't as if he didn't enjoy slow sex as well.

Later that night, with his lover wrapped in his arms, fingers casually tracing patterns over his skin, Gladio felt overcome by happiness. 

Relaxed, they soon fell asleep.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you've enjoyed reading! Feel free to drop a comment, reading your thoughts and impressions keeps me going ♥  
> I'm using Twitter on a daily basis, so if you're ever interested in any updates, you know where to look!  
> [Check out my Profile to find me on Tumblr or Twitter!](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SophiaHoppia/profile)  
> [Or simply check out my other fanfictions!](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SophiaHoppia/works)


	21. 15.1. [Monday] - The perfect date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gladio wants to have a perfect date with Ignis, but somehow he keeps messing up...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter, Regis and Clarus inspired me to write a different fanfic from their point of view. [Check it out here if you like their dynamic.](https://archiveofourown.org/works/29567715/)

A sleepy grumble left Gladio's lips as he heard an alarm ringing that wasn't his own. It ended as soon as it had begun, and the sheets rustled.

"Keep resting for a bit," Ignis whispered, making Gladio smile.   
Right, he had spent the night at Ignis's flat. A content moan slipped from Gladio's lips as he remembered their sweet love-making from last night. He still couldn't believe that they had made it this far, had finally confessed their feelings for each other, and started a relationship.

When Gladio heard _his_ alarm ringing, he realized that he had dozed off again. Grumpily, he reached for his phone on the nightstand and turned off the annoying alarm. 

Reluctantly, Gladio got out of bed. The weekend still seemed like a dream come true, but Monday morning meant he had to go to work nonetheless. Reality could be cruel sometimes. 

With his eyes still half-closed, he managed to reach the bathroom. Unfortunately, the quick shower didn't help to wake him up, but he finished his morning routine nevertheless.

By the time he went to the kitchen, Ignis had already finished preparing their lunch boxes. Furthermore, it looked like his lover was unaffected by the fact that it was _Monday morning_. He was wearing his usual work attire -black dress pants and a black vest with a white dress shirt- and his hair was styled up, a motivated expression on his face.

They exchanged a quick kiss and a good morning greeting before they got into Ignis's car. While his lover drove them over to the prince's apartment, Gladio almost dozed off again in the passenger seat.

When Gladio saw Noctis, grumpy and wrapped in a blanket, he felt a bit better. At least he wasn't the only one who was tired. Ignis made them eggs and bacon for breakfast, and together with the freshly brewed coffee, Gladio was slowly coming to life again. 

By the time they reached the Citadel, Gladio finally felt awake enough to get through this day. Reluctantly, he parted ways with Noctis and Ignis, who had a morning meeting to attend to. When Gladio was on his way to his office to deal with the nasty paperwork he had neglected last week, a familiar voice called out to him.

"Who's the lucky one?"   
"Huh?" Confused, he turned around to look at Domicella's grinning expression. Her long blonde hair was tied up in a ponytail, and she had her hands on her hips. She looked just as energetic as his sister does in the mornings.  
"Come on, you can tell me." Wiggling her eyebrows, she friendly nudged him with her elbow. "Who's the secret sweetheart that gave you these hickeys?"

With a self-conscious laugh, he rubbed his neck, hiding the lovebites behind his large hand. It wasn't like he didn't feel like telling the whole world that he had finally managed to get the most precious boyfriend of them all, but he had no idea if Ignis wanted their relationship to be public. 

"Why do you even think I have a secret lover?" Gladio asked carefully. "Could be just another one-night stand."  
"After you haven't been with anyone _for weeks_?" She waved her hand, signaling him to stop the lame excuses. "I bet you've done that because you are serious about someone."

Hands back on her hips, her sharp gaze was fixed on him, and Gladio took a step back. It was almost as if she could read his thoughts. He needed to find a way out of this situation before he opened his big mouth in front of the Citadel's most renowned gossipmonger. 

With a grin, he crossed his arms as he came up with the perfect idea to turn the tables on this conversation. "I bet you'd like to get some harsh love _bites_ as well, don't you?"

A blush graced her cheeks as she took her hands down to smooth some creases out of her maid uniform's skirt. "Well, that's-"  
Gladio's smirk widened. "Thinking about a _specific_ person?"   
"I won't tell you!" Sticking out her tongue, she suddenly turned around and ran away.

That hadn't been the reaction he had expected, but at least he had managed to get away without spilling any secrets.

On his way to the office he shared with his father, Gladio greeted a few glaives and regular office workers that crossed his path. He was a bit earlier at the Citadel than usual today, and he was surprised how many people were already here at this hour. 

When he entered his office, he immediately noticed that he wasn't alone. Clarus was kissing Regis, his hand stroking the inside of the king's thigh, who sat on his desk.

Slamming the door shut behind him in a hurry, Gladio crossed his arms. "How is it possible that you never got caught by a maid even though _I_ walk in on you all the time?"

Breaking the kiss, Regis smiled at him schemingly. "Maybe we've silenced everyone who walked in on us."

"Careful with that, honeybun," Clarus said, his hand still caressing his lover's legs. "My future son-in-law eventually notices it when someone has plenty of skeletons in his closet. And you can never know which information Gladiolus might leak to him."

Impatiently shifting his body weight from one foot to the other, Gladio watched how his father kissed Regis's neck. The king chuckled and let his hands roam over Clarus's chest. "Good thing that I have such a _strong_ and _reliable_ shield to protect me from _everything_."

Rolling his eyes, Gladio picked up a stack of papers from his desk and walked back to the door. "I'll be back in ten minutes."  
" _Fifteen_ ," his father ordered as Gladio left the office.

Taking a deep breath, Gladio tried not to think about what he had just witnessed. It's not like he judged them for doing this at the office, but this nonchalance and how they just continued as if he wasn't even there, always threw him off course.

Browsing through the stack of papers he had grabbed, he searched for those he knew accounting would need. After dropping them off, he went to the general secretariat and picked up even more paperwork. 

Even though he had made small talk with the secretary and taken a detour on his way back, Gladio arrived at his office twelve minutes after he had left. Not eager to walk in on something again, he leaned against the wall next to the door. A maid who passed by looked confused as she saw him standing there, reading papers, but she didn't say anything. 

After ten additional minutes, Gladio eventually knocked against the office door.  
"Yeah?" Clarus asked, and Gladio entered. "You don't have to knock when you come to your own office, son."

Leaving that uncommented, Gladio sat down at his desk after making sure that his father and Regis had their hands off each other.

He actually managed to work through some of the paperwork for about an hour until his concentration was gone. Resting his forehead against his work desk, he sighed. 

His father snorted, used to this display yet still amused by it.

"I miss Iggy." The words had slipped from Gladio's lips before he had even realized it.  
"Will you meet him after work?" Regis asked, his voice soft.

Blinking, Gladio suddenly sat up straight again. Taking out his phone, he sent his lover a quick text message.

Gladio:  
 _Are you free tonight?_

Ignis:  
 _I suppose. Why?_

Gladio:  
 _Won't tell._  
 _Surprise!_

Snickering, he searched for the website of a romantic restaurant he had heard about. According to the reviews, it was high-class, led by a five-star chef, and only served couples. The restaurant was located high enough to ensure the perfect view of the skyline of Insomnia.

When he called and managed to snatch the last available reservation for tonight, Regis and Clarus chuckled about his enthusiasm.

Using that rush of positive emotions, Gladio focused on his work again. 

His concentration only got interrupted as someone knocked on their office door.  
"Yeah?" Clarus asked, and Gladio looked up.

He was surprised when Nyx entered the office.   
Politely, the glaive bowed as his eyes fell on the king who sat next to Clarus. "Your majesty."  
Regis nodded at him in greeting.

"The marshall has sent me to deliver these," Nyx said, holding out a stack of papers towards Clarus.  
"Thanks," Clarus replied casually.

Nyx turned around to face Gladio, a smirk on his face. "Those hickeys suit you, eagle boy."  
Clarus huffed. "Don't encourage him."  
"Clarus," Regis said, sweet yet reprimanding. "Is that _jealousy_ in your voice?"  
Arms crossed, Clarus's gaze darkened as he turned to face his king. "What?"  
Regis chuckled. "Do you feel the need to show off as well?"  
"Nonsense."

Biting on his bottom lip to hold down some giggles, Nyx watched the show, exchanging glances with Gladio at the incredibility he witnessed. Gladio merely shook his head as he shrugged.

Suddenly, there was another knock at the door.  
"Yeah?" Clarus called out, sounding annoyed.

"Pardon the intrusion," Ignis said with a polite bow after he had entered the office. Nyx immediately smirked schemingly.

"Hey there, pretty boy. Feeling alright walking around? This guy-" he teasingly pointed at Gladio "-can be _a lot to take_."  
"Must run in the family," Regis mentioned matter-of-factly.

Even Nyx was taken aback for a second before he playfully bowed to give his answer. "Well, thank you for _that_ mental image, your majesty."   
" _No_ thanks," Gladio retorted, and his father laughed.

"I haven't come to talk about _dicks_ but rather about these reports," Ignis informed, trying to put on a stern expression despite his flushed cheeks. Yet Gladio still couldn't believe that his lover had said _that_ in front of the king.  
"You _haven't come_?" Nyx repeated in shock before he stared at Gladio with an evil grin. 

With a loud smack, Ignis threw the reports against Gladio's face.  
"Hey! Why _me_?" Gladio complained, pointing at his best friend, who had bowed over, laughing. " _He_ said it!"  
"He's never that bad without _you_ around!" Ignis berated him, one hand on his hip, the other pointing at the snickering glaive.

Clarus hummed softly, a rare sparkle in his eyes. "That makes me nostalgic. Iridaceae used to throw stuff at me all the time as well."  
"Is it a kink?" Regis asked with all his royal seriousness. "Should I do it as well?"  
"Hm," Clarus hummed, grabbing his chin as he gave this some serious thought.

"Why don't you discuss your kinks while your son isn't listening?" Gladio suggested while he gathered the papers that had fallen to the floor when his lover had thrown them at him.  
"Ignis is old enough to hear me talking about kinks," Regis said, smiling at Ignis. "Right, my son?"

"Your majes-" Ignis started to say reflexively, eyes widening in surprise before he cleared his throat. "If I can take _him_ -" he nodded towards Gladio "-then I can take everything, Regis."

Although Ignis was biting down on his bottom lip, he couldn't stop the corners of his mouth from twitching up into a happy smile. Being called a family member meant a lot to him.

"My heart's melting," Nyx said theatrically, a hand against his chest.

With a sharp gaze, Ignis looked at him. "You'd better think about how to improve your ice magic, or I'll melt _you_ in no time at tomorrow's magic training session." With a stern gaze, his eyes traveled to the next man. "Clarus, I need these reports signed _by tomorrow_." Adjusting his glasses, he looked at his lover. "Gladiolus, contact me at noon so I won't forget about lunchtime," he instructed before his eyes fell on the king. "Have a nice day, your majesty," he said with a polite yet sweet smile and a small bow.

"Hot!" Nyx whistled, but Ignis had already turned around and left the office.

"You have no idea," Gladio whispered.

"Oh?" Nyx hummed in amusement. "Does he overcome his shyness and tells you what he wants once he's riled up enough?"  
"Tells me?" Gladio repeated with a huff. "He _demands_ it."

Clarus snorted. "You're hopeless. He already has you wrapped around his little finger."  
With a hum, Regis turned around on his chair. Putting his feet up on Clarus's lap, he crossed his legs. Leaning back, he casually rubbed his bearded chin. "Why are you teasing poor Gladiolus so much today, hm?"  
"That's-" Clarus took in a sharp breath as Regis moved his leg, his black dress shoe, clean as a whistle, now resting dangerously close to Clarus's groin.  
"Last time I checked, someone had _you_ wrapped around his little finger as well." Closing his fist, Regis wiggled only his little finger with a teasing smirk.  
"Regis, I-" Eyes widening, Clarus first stared at the shoe pressing against his lap, then at his king.  
"Why are you always making this so difficult? It _won't_ hurt you to honestly talk about your feelings for once." There was an unspoken threat in his sentence.

After pressing his lips together, Clarus eventually slumped his shoulders, gaze turned downward. "Gladiolus, I-"  
"Nuh-uh," Regis denied. "Look at him."

Gladio gulped when the attention suddenly shifted to him. 

"Gladiolus, I'm delighted that you have finally found someone who loves you just as much as you love him. Such a relationship is very precious, so make sure to cherish Ignis as best as you can. I'll do everything to welcome him to our family. I know that I can be a bit stern and a tease sometimes, but please know that you can always come to me for advice about anything. You are a wonderful person and deserve to be happy. I'm proud that you're my son, Gladiolus." 

"Thanks, Dad," Gladio replied, a lump in his throat after hearing this unusually emotional speech from his father.

With a content nod, Regis put his feet back on the ground again. "See?" He softly caressed Clarus's cheek with his hand as he praised him. "That didn't hurt. Well done."  
Clarus only silently nodded once, gaze fixed on his desk, hands resting on his lap.

"Ulric," the king said, looking at the glaive with a smile that could kill, "you haven't seen or heard a thing."

"Of course, your majesty," Nyx replied with a polite bow. "I have witnessed neither any father-son-bonding nor any erotic power play happening in this office."  
Regis chuckled. "Go back to work."  
"As you wish." After another bow to his king, Nyx smirkingly exchanged glances with Gladio and left the office.

"Are you okay?" Regis asked when Clarus still hadn't moved but only stared at his desk.  
Closing his eyes, Clarus took a deep breath. "I need to catch some fresh air."  
"You may leave," Regis allowed at once.  
"Thank you," Clarus whispered as he stood up and left the office. 

It wasn't like Gladio spent much time thinking about the dynamic of his father's relationship, but from what he had witnessed so far, he had always assumed it to be the other way around _if_ they were taking roles instead of being equals. 

"We switch," Regis said nonchalantly.  
"I haven't even-"  
"I can see it in your eyes. Also, your body language speaks volumes." The king smirked. "If you can read one Amicitia, you can read them all."

Sometimes Gladio forgot how powerful the king was - in every sense. 

It took him some moments to regain his composure, but soon Gladio could focus on his work again. When his father returned to the office, he and Regis discussed work as if nothing had happened before, chuckling from time to time. 

Shortly before noon, Gladio left the office since he had to drop off some of his finished reports at the general secretariat. When he passed by Domicella in the hallway, he was surprised that she didn't even notice him. With a frown, he came to a halt next to her. She had her elbows on the windowsill, chin resting on her hands. When Gladio followed her gaze outside, he saw the recruits training, Cor standing next to them with crossed arms and a stern expression. With a chuckle, he let her dream on and continued his delivery.

After leaving the secretariat, Gladio took out his phone.

Gladio:  
 _Lunch in the backyard?_

Ignis:  
 _I'll be there in five minutes._

With a smile, Gladio went to his usual place. Unsure if Ignis would sit down on the ground with him like he usually does, he chose a nearby bench instead. Leaning against the backrest, he crossed his arms behind his head and relished the warm rays of the sun.

When he noticed someone sitting down next to him, Gladio opened his eyes again. Smiling, he accepted the lunch box his lover was handing him. "Thanks." After opening the lid, his eyes fell on the tasty contents of the box, and his stomach rumbled. Ignis had put some leftover meatballs and tomato sauce inside together with rice and some carrot sticks. "Did Noct get the same?"

Ignis chuckled. "That would be a waste of carrots. Noct got the leftover potatoes instead."  
Gladio suppressed the urge to mention that that wouldn't have been the first time since Ignis always tried to make Noctis eat carrots when he was angry with him. But there wasn't any need for it lately, hence no carrots for the prince.

"How was your day so far?" Gladio asked before he eagerly took the first bite of his lunch.

Ignis snorted. "Verecunda told me that after fooling around for years, you -as the heir to the Amicitia house- got forced to take a fiancée. You don't like her, which is why you don't mention her around anyone. Furthermore, you don't talk to your father anymore since he said that love doesn't matter when it comes to upholding traditions."

Gladio had stopped eating to stare at his lover. " _That_ is as far from the truth as it could be."  
Ignis shrugged. "That's what the maids deduced so far." Calmly, he ate a spoon full of rice. "While I don't approve of these accusations against Clarus, I must admit that it _was_ amusing to listen to these rumors."  
"That's really nonsense," Gladio exclaimed. "My dad told me just earlier how happy he is for us."  
There was a small smile on Ignis's lips. "That's nice."

"Since we're talking about that anyway-" Gladio rubbed the back of his neck. "Do you wanna keep this secret, or is it okay to brag about it?"

When his lover looked down and chewed on his bottom lip, Gladio immediately knew the answer to his question. "For now, I'd prefer it if the council members wouldn't know. The atmosphere is still tense because of last week. It just feels like some of them are waiting for a chance to use anything against me." Ignis looked at him with sorrow in his eyes. "I don't want to drag you into this."

Gladio snorted. "I'm used to being in the center of gossip."  
"Unfortunately, that is true." Ignis frowned. "And maybe these rumors are even worse than the actual truth."  
With a shrug, Gladio looked up to the clear sky. "Usually, they're gone again as fast as they have come up."  
"Still." Ignis sighed. "Maybe it is better to speak the truth."  
"Nah, it's true what you said." Gladio smiled reassuringly at his lover. "We shouldn't provide these council members with any additional targets."  
"I don't care if anyone else knows," Ignis admitted silently. "But those people-" He frowned, his gaze dark and irritated.

Gladio laughed. That was more than he had expected, but he could understand his lover's resentment to the council members. "So, if anyone who isn't a council member asks me, I'll just say that I have the cutest and most beautiful boyfriend of them all."

A chuckle slipped from Ignis's lips. "Still such a charmer."  
"Just wait until tonight when you'll see me all dressed up," Gladio promised with a whisper.

Ignis pulled up a filigree eyebrow. " _You're_ going to dress up? The guy who opens the front door in his underwear?"

"Yeah, yeah." With a pout, Gladio took another bite of his lunch. "Keep teasing me about that, but you're in for a surprise tonight!"

There was a grin on Ignis's lips. "You had been right, yesterday morning. I _do_ enjoy teasing you." When Gladio realized the reference to their short conversation about some light BDSM stuff, he took in a sharp breath. Ignis cleared his throat, a faint blush on his cheeks. "Is there anything I need to know for tonight?"

"I'll pick you up at home at half-past seven, and you might wanna dress up a bit." Gladio grinned schemingly. "The rest is a secret surprise. Oh, and you don't need to cook tonight."  
"You're taking me out to dinner at a high-class restaurant?" Ignis deduced correctly.  
Gladio pouted. "That's supposed to be a surprise, Iggy."  
"My apologies," Ignis replied before he nervously chewed on his bottom lip.   
Worriedly, Gladio tilted his head. "What's on your mind?"  
"Hm?"  
"You're doing the lip thing again." Gladio reached out to trace over his lover's bottom lip. Self-consciously, he immediately pulled his hand back. After looking around, he let out a relieved sigh that no one had seen that. He really needed to be more careful at the Citadel if they wanted to keep this secret from the council members. "Sorry."

"It's alright," Ignis mumbled. "I don't want you to hold back because of me. Also, I appreciate that you want to take me out for dinner, but you really don't have to."  
Taking a deep breath, Gladio turned until their knees touched. "For now, I'll avoid anything too obvious at the Citadel - because I don't wanna _force_ you out of your comfort zone. But what I _do_ want is taking you out for a real date to a nice restaurant. I wanna do something to make you happy, Iggy."   
"I _am_ happy," his lover simply confirmed.  
Gladio leaned a bit closer, whispering, "You deserve to be even happier. Cause you're worth it, and I love you, Iggy. Just tell me if there's ever anything I can do for you - anything."

Ignis closed his eyes to take a deep breath. "That means a lot to me. Thank you, Gladiolus. I appreciate it. Is there anything _I_ can do for _you_?"  
"Nah, I'm fine," he denied, and Ignis looked a bit disappointed. "You're already giving me all this delicious food!" With a grin, Gladio continued to eat. If he gave it some serious thought, he might come up with some things, but he didn't feel any need for that right now. Their relationship was still new, and all Gladio wanted to do, for now, was to make sure that Ignis felt treasured and loved.

Together they finished their lunch. Ignis told him some things from this morning's council meeting, and Gladio complained about the paperwork he had to do.

Lunch break was over faster than ever before, and while Ignis had more meetings to attend, Gladio focused on his workout and on training with some of the glaives. If any of them had heard the new rumors about Gladio, they didn't tell. Maybe the maids hadn't spread them so far yet.

Even though Gladio felt giddy, looking forward to their date tonight, he managed to focus on his training. 

After work, he spent at least a bit of his time with Iris, who had missed him more than she admitted. 

Eventually, though, he got ready for his first official date with Ignis. He made sure to take an extra long shower and put on some perfume afterwards. Watching his reflection in the mirror, he scratched his chin, wondered if he should shave or not. Actually, he had no idea if Ignis preferred beards on other men or not. With a frown, Gladio realized that he had never seen his lover with a beard. Yet only because Ignis shaved regularly didn't mean that he disliked beards. Slumping his shoulders, Gladio gave up on figuring out his lover's preferences. For now, he would just keep his chin beard but shave off the other stubble around his face. 

As he put down his razor, his eyes fell on his hair. He still hadn't decided if he should let it grow out or not. Right now, the hair on the sides of his head was shorter than the rest since he used to have an undercut. With a sigh, he reached for his styling gel, slicking back the short strands of hair at his sides.

When Gladio put on his suit, he almost regretted inviting Ignis to a restaurant that required formal wear. Closing the buttons of the white dress shirt had already cost him too much time and nerves. Putting on the black bow tie felt like getting chocked, and as he put on his black suit jacket, he just felt trapped. These suits were just too tight. He hated it when he couldn't move his muscular arms without being afraid of bursting the seams of his clothes. Part of it might be because these clothes were old and he had built up more muscles lately. Since he didn't own any other suits, though, he had to go with this one.

One last look in the mirror told him that he at least looked handsome. 

As he went down the stairs, Iris was running towards him, intending to hug him. Their father stopped her at the last moment, picking up the little whirlwind. Gladio only now noticed that she was full of soil and mud. She must have been working on her flowerbed in the garden again. A smile slipped to Gladio's lips. Ignis would probably enjoy teaching her some things about plants and gardening.

"Please excuse me, young master," Jared said, interrupting Gladio's thoughts. The butler gave him a once over, adjusting Gladio's bowtie and picking some lint and hairs from his suit jacket. Grabbing his chin, the old man watched Gladio from all sides before he nodded in confirmation. "Enjoy your evening."

Gladio thanked him and got to his car. With a quick stop at the florist's, he drove to Ignis's flat. To the tick, he rang the doorbell, and his lover opened the door. Ignis's eyes widened in surprise as he got greeted by a bouquet of red roses. "Oh my. That was unexpected." With a smile, Ignis accepted the flowers, inhaling the pleasant scent. 

"At least you don't throw them at my face as my mum had done to my dad when he first asked her out." Gladio chuckled as he imagined the scene.   
Ignis pulled up one of his filigree eyebrows. " _Is_ it a kink?"  
"No," Gladio replied with a snort. "You don't have to throw stuff at me."  
"What a pity." There was a playfully disappointed look on his face. "Maybe I _do_ enjoy throwing things at you."  
"Is _that_ a kink?" Gladio asked with a grin.  
"No, it's a joke." Ignis chuckled. "Excuse me for a moment. I'll put them in a vase."  
  
Watching Ignis taking care of the roses, Gladio couldn't help but notice how refined he looked. He was wearing a silver-gray suit with a perfectly matching silver necktie over a black dress shirt, silver cufflinks completing the outfit. Gladio took in a deep breath and tried his best not to feel out of place next to this elegant man. 

"Shall we?" Ignis asked softly, and Gladio went to hold the front door open for him.  
"After you."  
"What a gentleman you can be." With a grin, his lover left his flat. 

With a resolute expression, Gladio followed him. Tonight, he would show Ignis that he was indeed a gentleman, refined enough to stand by his side. 

They didn't talk much during their car ride, but Gladio was glad for it because he used the time to recall every etiquette rule he had been taught from a young age on. Not that he had ever been fond of them or stood to them. But on rare occasions, he had to participate in formal events of the Crown. And by the time Noctis got older, Gladio would have to live through these with increased regularity. Even if he most of the time got away with just standing somewhere near his prince. Which he preferred because sitting down with these tight suit pants was a pain in the ass – or in his crotch, to be more accurate.

Ignis threw him a few sideglances and looked as if he wanted to say something, but as Gladio parked his car at their destination, he kept quiet. 

They entered the building and took the elevator up to the top floor. In the restaurant, they immediately got courteously received by one of the staff members. After their reservation got confirmed, they were led towards their table. Gladio was relieved when Ignis approvingly took in the interior as they walked through the restaurant. The place really was lavishly furnished. The floor, the walls, the furniture -everything- was in white, black, and red. The wide window wall granted a perfect view of the skyline of Insomnia. The black and white floor was polished enough to get reflected in it. The black chairs were a nice contrast to the snow-white tablecloths, graced with red candles, red flowers, and red napkins. Just as Gladio had heard, the restaurant only had tables for two people. Looking around, he saw nothing but couples: some older, some younger, Cor and Domicella.

Gladio stopped in his tracks.

Ignis came to a halt next to him, and at the same time, the other two looked up from their table. The marshall was wearing a classical black suit over a white dress shirt. His outfit was similar to Gladio's but with a necktie instead of a bowtie. The maid was clad in a long red dress, together with a necklace that suspiciously looked like a collar. The grin on her face when she spotted Ignis next to Gladio was almost terrifying. Gladio could already imagine tomorrow's rumors at the Citadel. Cor only nodded once and averted his eyes again. 

With a nod on their own, Gladio and Ignis quickly followed the staff member again, who led them to their table. Sitting down, Gladio already realized that this wouldn't be a comfortable stay for him. The chairs were small, their edges pressing against his thighs, and the legs of his suit pants were riding up, putting pressure on his crotch.

At least they were sitting far enough away from Cor and Domicella. Taking a look around, Gladio watched the tables next to them. To their left sat an older couple - she with a lilac coat dress and a lilac hat, her husband with a suit as gray as his hair. To their right was a young couple - the blonde woman wore a black dress, her boyfriend a dark blue suit. Further to their right sat a male couple, probably around their thirties, both wearing black suits, one of them with a pink dress shirt, the other with a green one.

Suddenly a tiny waitress with short brown hair came to Gladio's table, handing out the menus. When she winked at him with her hazel eyes, he immediately averted his gaze. Surely he must have imagined that. A waitress at a restaurant that specializes in serving couples wouldn't flirt with a customer. 

When she handed out a special menu for their selection of wines, Ignis politely declined. "Thank you, but we won't have any alcohol tonight. I'm afraid he still has to drive home, and I don't drink the night before a workday."

Gladio wanted to smash his head against a table. Why had he arranged for this date to be on a Monday? Furthermore, they should have just taken a cab. The date hadn't really begun, and he was already messing it up. 

"In that case," the brunette said, "I'd recommend a refreshing Virgin Mojito."  
"Thank you. I'll accept your proposal," Ignis replied politely.

With a happy smile, the waitress turned to face Gladio.  
"You look like you'd enjoy a _virgin_ as well." She winked again. "A Virgin Mojito, I mean."   
Gladio couldn't believe that this was happening. It reminded him of that time at the coffee shop when Faba had flirted with him. Why did he always have to attract chicks when Ignis was with him? His lover was watching him closely, an eyebrow pulled up.

"No, thanks. I'll stick to water," Gladio replied, avoiding eye contact with her as he studied the menu instead. 

As soon as she was gone, Ignis gave him a look, Gladio couldn't quite interpret. Thinking that his lover probably disliked that this woman flirted with him, he tried to change the subject.

"What would you suggest as an appetizer?" It was an honest question since Gladio knew nothing about fancy food, and this menu listed more than a few ingredients he had never even heard of before. 

His lover hummed in thought. "The mixed seafood appetizer has caught my eye. It's been a while since I've had some caviar."

Since Gladio ate everything, he would just go along with that choice. "I'll take the same."   
Ignis looked up in surprise but didn't say anything. 

Browsing through the menu, Gladio checked out all the main dishes. The variety was large, and he had no idea what he should choose. They probably wouldn't put anything on the menu that wasn't suited for a fancy restaurant, would they? With a frown, he tried to recall his etiquette lessons. Was there anything to keep in mind when choosing the main dish? Should it correspond to his appetizer somehow? 

"I'm sure the steaks must be excellent at such a high-class restaurant," Ignis mentioned all of a sudden. "It says here that their meat comes from the Duscae region. They are famous for having the best quality meat."

"Sounds goods," Gladio confirmed with a nod as he closed the menu. "I'll take that then."

Ignis chuckled in amusement. "I knew you'd say that." His lover put down his menu as well. "I'll take the salmon filet."

Gladio paled. It felt like he had walked just right into a trap. Was Ignis testing him? Would the main dish with fish have been the better choice after they had chosen seafood as an appetizer? But then again, Ignis knew that Gladio loved meat.

Out of the corner of his eye, Gladio noticed the blonde woman from the other table next to them staring at him. Yet as he looked to his right, she had averted her gaze again, giggling. Had she heard him and laughed about his choice?

The tiny waitress came back to their table, and Ignis placed their order. Gladio couldn't help but stare in awe at how elegantly he looked while he pointed out their choices for her to see on the menu. The brunette nodded and wrote everything down.

Suddenly, his phone signaled an incoming message, and both looked at him, almost judgemental.  
"Sorry, forgot to turn it off," he explained, as he hastily tried to pull his phone out of his way too tight trousers. He must have looked even less elegant than he felt because the waitress suddenly snickered. She had taken up her hand, politely trying to hide her smile, but he had noticed. Gladio threw her a stern gaze. Even if he looked ridiculous, she shouldn't laugh at a customer. 

His nervousness had caused him to start sweating. As if this whole outfit hadn't been too hot anyway. Usually, he was already feeling hot when he wore a shirt with short sleeves. But long sleeves _and_ a suit jacket? He felt like he was running a fever.

By the time he finally managed to grab his phone, there was a disappointed look on his lover's face. _Just great_. Could this waitress please leave their table now? She wasn't bringing him any luck. 

One look at his phone told him that it had been unnecessary to take it out. It had been nothing but a newsletter e-mail. With a frown, he switched his notifications to vibrations so that he wouldn't get bothered again but still notice in case the prince called him.

With a sigh, he realized that he had to get his phone back into his tight pocket. He was already leaning back on the way too tiny and uncomfortable chair, pulling on the cloth of his pants like an idiot, when he noticed Ignis subtly patting against his own chest.

Gladio stopped his movements with a frown before realization dawned. _Oh, right._ These suit jackets had inside pockets. With an embarrassed smile, he effortlessly slid his phone into his suit pocket. 

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the male couple at the other table averting their gaze, both of them laughing.

Why had he thought it was a good idea to invite his lover to a fancy dinner? Oh yeah. Because Ignis was refined and fitted perfectly well into high society while Gladio behaved like a bull in a china shop.

"I don't mean to pry," Ignis said, voice quiet. "But Cor and Domicella? I haven't seen that coming. There weren't even any rumors."

Gladio laughed loudly. Of course, there hadn't been any talks if one of the primary sources of rumors was involved - not that the other maids were any better.

When Gladio noticed the customers from the other tables staring at him, he realized that he might have been a bit too loud. Especially the elderly gray-haired woman watched him from top to bottom with a scrutinizing gaze. She shook her head in what looked like disapproval to Gladio before she averted her eyes again. 

Clearing his throat, Gladio sat up a bit straighter, pressing his thighs together to avoid sitting too straddle-legged. 

"Care to enlighten me?" Ignis asked with an eyebrow pulled up.

It took Gladio a moment to get back to their topic of conversation. "She has a crush on him since Friday when she got spa-" he slapped a hand to his mouth, and the older woman from the table next to them was looking at him again. It was like she couldn't even take her eyes off him again.

_Fuck._ Gladio shouldn't speak that loudly and he most of all shouldn't talk about _spanking_ maids now. 

His lover was looking at the young woman on the table next to them, who also had her eyes on him. Ignis must have noticed that Gladio's unfitting behavior hadn't gone unnoticed by the other customers. Gladio felt bad for it. It was one thing that he stood out, but he never intended for Ignis to get caught up in this as well. Surely his lover wouldn't be able to enjoy his dinner with the eyes of all these strangers on them.

"She got called to his office on Friday," Gladio continued his narration, more quietly this time as he tried to ignore the other people. "When I met her for lunch, she was sighing all the time."

Ignis hummed in thought. "I'm still surprised the marshall even invited her out on a date today."

When the waitress brought them their drinks, Gladio regretted that he had ordered nothing but water. But it was his own fault for getting here at the wrong time of the week, and just his bad luck that they got a flirty waitress. 

After taking a sip from his glass, he realized once again how freakingly tight this outfit was. He would be glad if he managed to survive this evening without getting choked by his own dress shirt and bow tie or getting a heatstroke.

"Do you know if Domicella and Cor have anything in common?" Ignis asked, and Gladio was a bit surprised by this level of curiosity. It was different from Ignis's usual humble self. "My apologies. I know I shouldn't be nosy, but I have a thing for love stories - no matter if they are fictional or not."

"That's okay," Gladio replied, his eyes soft. He always felt so happy when he learned something new about his lover. And while he wouldn't mind mentioning what little Domicella had told him on Friday, spanking still wasn't an appropriate topic for a conversation inside a restaurant. "We shouldn't talk about that now," he mentioned, trying to stir the conversation in another direction. "How was your afternoon?"

Ignis frowned, apparently not happy about this change of topic. " _Wonderful_." The sarcasm was unmistakable. "It was full of tedious meetings, never-ending paperwork, and perfidious council members."

Gladio was attentive enough to notice that his lover hadn't even asked about _his_ afternoon. 

There was a moment of uncomfortable silence before their waitress brought their appetizers. For the first time today, Gladio was glad to see her. 

His lover's eyes sparkled as he looked at the plates that got placed down on the table. Gladio was glad that the food helped to change the mood again. It _did_ look delicious. There was caviar, crab meat salad, and some fish he didn't recognize. Furthermore, two halves of a hard-boiled egg, thinly sliced bread, and differently colored lettuce leaves. Should he eat those as well, or were they just decoration?

Afraid to somehow make himself look even more foolish than he already had today, he simply mimicked his lover and tried the fish first.

He was pleasantly surprised by how tasty it was. "It's good," he mentioned, doing his best to keep his voice down to a reasonable level.  
"It is," Ignis confirmed with a smile, cutting another small piece off of it.

In horror, Gladio realized that he had eaten the whole thing with one bite. Why was it considered good etiquette to take tiny bites while the servings in these restaurants already were way too small? 

Still unsure what to taste next, Gladio reached for his water glass to bridge the time until he knew what Ignis would eat next. Unfortunately, he somehow managed to knock his glass down. Thanks to his reflexes, he had placed it upright again before too much water had spilled out. However, that didn't change the fact that there was a wet spot on the tablecloth now. Furthermore, everyone was looking at him again: the young blonde woman and her black-haired boyfriend to his right were chuckling, the two men sitting further to his right were grinning at him, eyebrows pulled up, and the older woman from the table at their left side didn't even avert her gaze as Gladio stared right back at her. Her husband was the only one who didn't look at Gladio right now.

"Is everything alright?" Their tiny waitress had suddenly appeared next to their table.   
"Yeah, everything's fine," he replied, doing his best to smile even though he felt like burying his face somewhere and scream.

Taking a deep breath didn't calm him down because it only reminded him how _fucking tight_ this _stupid collar_ was. Looking down to their table, he tried to catch some air again, but he still was too restricted. Maybe this was the answer to his earlier question if he would die by getting choked or a heatstroke. He hated these clothes, and the people staring at him, and this flirtly waitress, and-

"Are you certain that you're alright?"  
"I'm fine!" Gladio exclaimed more loudly this time, lifting his head again. It took him a moment to realize that the waitress hadn't repeated her question. Instead, she was long gone, and his lover was watching him with a slightly shocked expression.

_Fuck._ Had he just yelled at Ignis even though he had only been worried about him?

"Sorry," Gladio mumbled before he took a sip from his remaining water - without spilling it.

Ignis kept staring at him all the time, looking as if he was trying to read Gladio's mind. Eventually, he sighed and continued to eat.

Mimicking his lover, Gladio tried the crab meat salad next. While it tasted delicious, Gladio couldn't savor it, though. He was mad at himself for ruining what was supposed to be their perfect first date.

To worsen his mood, he realized that something had gotten stuck between his teeth. Desperately, he pushed his tongue against it, trying to get it out.

"What's wrong?" Ignis asked silently.

_Fuck._ He must have been making a face.

"Sorry. Excuse me for a moment." In a hurry, Gladio stood up from the table, accidentally hitting his knee against the tabletop. With a loud clattering sound and everyone's eyes on him, he fled to the restroom.

Once inside, he let his hands rest on the sink and looked in the mirror. Adjusting his tight collar, he tried to take a deep breath to calm his nerves. Why was everything going wrong today? Staring at his reflection, he noticed that at least his hair still looked okay. Maybe not _everything_ was going wrong. Clearing his throat, he closed his eyes. He needed to think positively - somehow. Or at least not negatively. 

Opening his eyes again, Gladio washed his hands before he used his fingernail to get that annoying piece of herb out from between his teeth. 

There, that was the first step. Next, he would go back out there and be a refined, polite gentleman. He could do that.

Somehow, he made it back to his place without causing a stir this time. He sat down, legs pressed against each other, back straight. Ignis had almost finished his appetizer, but he didn't look happy. Furthermore, he hadn't even looked at him when Gladio had gotten back from the restroom.

He needed to fix this somehow. They just needed a new topic to talk about, something that wouldn't stand out in a high-class restaurant like this. He would prove that he could fit in here as well. Maybe not as perfectly as someone refined as Ignis Scientia, but at least well enough to be at his side. But first, he needed to gain his attention. 

"Ignis?"

His lover placed down his cutlery. "Are you insinuating something?" Ignis's voice was as sharp as his gaze. Gladio took in a shaky breath. His lover was mad, _furious_. Even more than the last time when Noctis had royally fucked up during a council meeting.

"Huh?" Gladio felt his throat tightening even more under his collar as he nervously tried to grasp what he had done wrong this time.

Ignis's gaze darkened. "Do you dislike it when I call you Gladiolus?"

"What?" Gladio blinked in confusion, breaking out in a sweat. He had no idea where that question was coming from. "No, I like it. Most people call me Gladio, but I love how you pronounce my name. I would tell you if I preferred it any other way."

"Then what happened to _Iggy_? _Babe_? _Super honey pumpkin pie_?" Ignis's voice was still sharp.

Gladio just silently stared at his lover. Why was he recounting the nicknames Gladio had come up with yesterday?

"I have no idea what you mean," he mumbled and immediately regretted it when his lover's gaze went from anger to disappointment. That must have been the last straw. Gladio really had messed up this date. Reflexively, he tried to rub the back of his neck, but he couldn't lift his arm far enough without risking tearing the seams of his suit jacket. Biting back an annoyed groan, he dropped his arm again.

"Gladiolus," Ignis said sharply, and Gladio closed his eyes. This couldn't be good. "Eyes on me," his lover ordered, and Gladio immediately obeyed. "This here, what is happening right now, is one of the things I have been afraid of since two months ago."

Nervously, Gladio grabbed the hem of the white tablecloth, rubbing it between his fingers. This couldn't be good. Two months ago, they had both hit rock bottom when they realized that despite their feelings for each other, it just wouldn't work out between them.

"You are trying to act like someone who clearly isn't you," Ignis stated.

Holding his breath, Gladio tried to fight down the upcoming anxiety. Did his lover already have enough of him after only two days?

"Take off your jacket," Ignis suddenly said with a sigh, shaking his head in annoyance.  
"Huh?" Gladio's eyes widened in surprise.  
"You've heard me." Ignis's gaze was so sharp Gladio almost flinched beneath it. 

Afraid to make things worse, he complied. Slowly, he took off his jacket, putting it over the backrest of his chair. 

"Next, the bowtie, and then open at least two buttons of your shirt," Ignis instructed, his stern gaze quelling Gladio's retort before he could speak up. Gladio's breathing was labored when he took off his bowtie and put it into the pocket of his suit jacket. With shaking hands, he opened three buttons of his shirt. It took him a while since these tiny buttons were difficult to grasp.

His lover was still watching him like a hawk. "Roll up your sleeves."   
Gladio gulped and did just that, although he still had no idea what was going on. Would it even be okay to show his tattooed underarms in this restaurant? 

Ignis's eyes traveled over Gladio, watching him from top to bottom. Holding his breath, Gladio sat up just a little bit straighter. "This chair has a backrest for a reason. You're allowed to lean against it."

Slowly, Gladio leaned back. His eyes never left his lover, afraid he would suddenly tell him to stop moving. 

"And now _breathe_ , Gladiolus."

He did just that. Taking in a deep breath, he was glad the tight collar of his dress shirt didn't restrict him anymore. Furthermore, the cool air against his underarms felt nice, and he realized that he didn't sweat as much as before.

"Better?" Ignis asked softly.   
"Actually," Gladio nodded surprised, "Yeah."

Reaching across the table, Ignis placed his hand on Gladio's. "I have no idea why you were suddenly putting up a front. Do you think I would judge a book by its cover?" Ignis's thumb soothingly stroked over his skin. "You don't need to impress me with superficialities if I already know and _love_ your true self."

A desperate laugh tumbled from Gladio's lips. What had he been doing this whole evening? This was so stupid. "Sorry, Iggy. I was trying to be perfect."

"Lately, someone told me that no one was perfect." The right corner of Ignis's mouth went up, an empathic expression on his face.

Gladio felt his heart warming when he remembered their shared weekend. Why had he even tried to impress his lover? Everything _had_ been perfect until he started to act like a fool tonight. "You're right. Still, I'm sorry for embarrassing you, Iggy."

"Embarrassing me? When?" There was real amusement in his lover's voice.  
"When everybody stared at me because I acted like a fool?" Carefully, he glanced at the customers, but they were all focused on their own conversations.

" _Darling_." His lover's eyes shimmered, his thumb stroking over Gladio's hand, who took in a sharp breath at the endearing nickname. "You might have _caught_ their attention because of some insignificant mishaps, but they kept staring at you since _you_ are the most attractive person in this whole restaurant."

Gladio felt his cheeks heating up, not because of the heat this time. "Now you're pulling my leg."  
"Since when are you so unaware of your own charm?" Ignis chuckled in amusement.   
"Sorry," Gladio said, rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand. Without his tight suit jacket, he could at least move his arm without trouble.

"It's okay." Ignis reassuringly squeezed his hand. "And now eat. What you like and how you like."  
When Ignis pulled back his hand, Gladio took up his cutlery. "Wait. You had noticed I was overthinking this all, and that's why you tricked me into ordering the steak?"

Ignis mockingly pulled up an eyebrow. "Who do you think you're talking to? I've noticed something was off ever since you remained silent during the whole car ride here."  
Gladio frowned in disbelief. "I haven't said _anything_ during the drive?"  
"Not a single word, darling."  
Once again, Gladio felt his heart warming up at the nickname. "Sorry, babe."

With a smile, Ignis took up his cutlery again as well. Together they ate their appetizers. Gladio wasn't proud that he had acted like a fool, but at least his lover had helped him out of it now. It was a bit funny how they both could act so insecure at one moment yet so supportive and self-confident at the next. They both had their strengths and weaknesses, and Gladio was convinced that _together_ they would be able to take on the world, no matter what.

"I've been pondering what to do with my hair," Gladio mentioned after they finished their appetizers.   
After taking a sip from his drink, Ignis put his glass back down again. "What would you prefer?"  
"I'm not sure, actually. It's a bit annoying when it falls into my face." Gladio traced over the short strands of hair he had slicked back at his sides.   
Ignis hummed in thought. "You could shave off the sides a bit. Or get a full undercut again."  
"Or I'll go for a bald head like my dad." Gladio laughed about his own joke. 

His lover sighed. There was a small pout on his thin lips. "That would be such a waste. After all, you made such a beautiful sound when I pulled it yesterday."

Gladio took in a sharp breath before he smirked widely. "That was the best argument for growing my hair out." He chuckled. "Now that you mention it, Nyx said something similar as we discovered my kink."

"Oh." Ignis took up his glass to take a sip from his drink even though he had already done so only moments ago. 

For a second, Gladio wondered if he had done something wrong again, but before he could overthink once more tonight, the waitress appeared at their table. "Everything to your liking?"  
"Yes," Ignis replied politely. "It was delicious."

With a friendly nod, she put their plates on her tray. When she looked at Gladio, her eyes traveled over his tattooed underarms and his neck, covered in hickeys. She licked her lips. "It's getting hot in here, isn't it?" 

Putting his elbows on the table, Gladio rested his chin on his linked hands and smirked at her. "A common occurrence when I'm in the company of _this_ sexy man." He winked at Ignis.  
The tiny brunette giggled. "Aaw, what a sweetheart." With sparkling eyes, she looked at Ignis while nodding towards Gladio. "He's a keeper!"  
"Definitively," his lover confirmed with a slight blush.

Enthusiastically, she turned around. After two steps, she suddenly tumbled over her own feet. A loud screech left her lips in shock as she realized that she was falling. 

At once, Gladio and Ignis had jumped up reflexively. With just one big step, Gladio was next to her, securely catching her with one strong arm around her waist before she could hit the ground. 

With his other hand, he managed to grab the tray. When it threatened to slip out of his hand, Ignis took it and placed it on the table. 

With a relieved sigh, Gladio placed the young lady back on her feet. "Are you alright?" he asked with a worried expression as he looked her over for any signs of injury.   
" _My hero!_ " She clapped her hands together once, sparkles in her hazel eyes.

"I've always known he was a hero!" Domicella suddenly yelled from the other end of the room. She must have witnessed everything, even from back there.

"Awesome!" the blond woman at the table to their right side cheered and clapped her hands while her partner approvingly whistled.

" _Uh! Help!_ " The man with the pink dress shirt at the table further to their right exclaimed. "Such strength and fast reflexes always make me faint." Theatrically, he put the back of his hand against his forehead and slid down his chair. "Use your strong arms to catch me, too, Archaean!"

Gladio felt honored by the association, even though he didn't think he was worthy of getting compared to one of the Astrals.

"I'm the better catch!" The man with the green dress shirt suddenly exclaimed. "I don't faint as fast as my lover does!"   
They playfully laughed before they both blew some kisses towards Gladio, wiggling their eyebrows.

"See?" the old woman in her lilac dress at the table next to them suddenly called out, pointing at Gladio while her eyes glared at her husband. " _That's_ how impressive a real man should be!"  
Her gray-haired husband seemed ready to cry after that statement.

At a closer look, Gladio noticed a big heavy-looking lilac purse. It was hanging on the backrest of the man's chair and its design perfectly matched the woman's dress. He must have carried it for his wife.  
Gladio smiled. "I'm sure your partner is still working hard to impress you."

The old lady wrinkled her nose. "Unfortunately, nothing about that old man is _hard_ anymore."  
Gladio smirked. "Well, good thing that he still has ten fingers and a tongue." The words had slipped out before he had even realized it.

"I-" the old man stared at his hands, blinking. Suddenly his eyes lit up in understanding. "I _could_ do that!"  
"You _would_?" His wife asked, and he determinedly nodded in confirmation.   
They both reached across the table to hold each other's hand, giggling in embarrassment as their cheeks turned red. 

Had Gladio just re-sparked some old couple's sex life?

"Thank you again," the tiny waitress said with a bow, turning Gladio's attention back to her. "I'm so sorry for the inconvenience!"

"I'm just glad nothing happened," Gladio replied, rubbing the back of his neck. They had been lucky that his reflexes had been fast enough - probably from training and from catching his sister on multiple occasions. The little whirlwind always had a tendency to trip over her own feet and fall. 

"At least let me get you a drink. It's on the house! What would you like?"  
"I'll take the virgin this time." He playfully winked at her, and she bent over with laughter.   
"One Virgin Mojito, alright!" Picking up her tray again, she left for the kitchen. 

Sitting down, Gladio let out a breath, tension leaving his body.  
Ignis had a dreamy expression on his face. "At least a handful of people have fallen in love with you just now."  
"Are you one of them?" With a smirk, Gladio reached across the table.  
Immediately, Ignis leaned forward to grab his hand. "Definitely."  
"Perfect. Cause that's all I care about." He winked, making his lover giggle.

From there on, they finally enjoyed a dinner date like Gladio had imagined it. Their main dishes were delicious, and the corner of Gladio's mouth went up in joy when he listened to his lover analyzing the recipe of his meal. 

As a dessert, they had fried cheesecake with a sauce made from wild berries and cinnamon. Not even Ignis had known that _fried_ cake existed, and his eyes were sparkling, already eager to try to recreate the recipe. 

In the end, it took Gladio some effort and persuasion until Ignis eventually gave in and let him pay for their dinner. But otherwise, their evening had ended without any other incident.

When they left the restaurant, it was already dark outside. During their ride home, they both kept daydreaming about that delicious dessert. They started to ponder what else would taste better once it got fried, and eventually, they laughed about some absurd ideas. 

Once they reached Ignis's flat, Gladio parked the car, and they went upstairs. At the front door, Ignis took his hands. "Thank you for the nice evening." With a smile, Gladio leaned forward to place a quick kiss on his lover's lips. 

They kept staring at each other, grinning. Ignis chewed on his bottom lip. "Want to come inside for a cup of coffee?"  
"Inviting me to stay after the _first_ date?" Gladio playfully gasped in shock. "Scandalous!" 

Ignis only chuckled and unlocked the door. As soon as they were inside, the door closed again, their lips found each other, coffee forgotten. Gladio had enough reason left to put his phone from his suit jacket into his pants before he dropped the annoying piece of clothing and wrapped his arms around his lover. Somehow they managed to take off their shoes without having to break their kiss.

Their tongues were swirling around each other in a heated dance while they slowly walked through the flat. Their lips never left each other, bodies pressed close together, and Gladio could already feel their arousals stirring. 

Ignis had successfully led them towards their goal, pressing the door handle down. Only when the lights went on did Gladio realize that they weren't in the bedroom. They were in the room next to it. 

"No way," Gladio uttered in surprise as his eyes fell on the pole. "Oh, fuck."   
Ignis winked at him as he walked backwards until his back softly collided with the metal.   
"Don't move," his lover instructed as he took out his phone. After connecting it to the Bluetooth boxes, he securely placed it on the windowsill, and music started to play.

Gladio gulped. This was nothing like the music Ignis had used on Saturday. This was pure sexiness: soft yet rhythmic drums along with exotic flutes.

His pants already felt tighter than they had all evening, and his lover hadn't even started yet. When he noticed a flicker of insecureness in green eyes, Gladio let a needy whine slip from his lips.

Ignis's eyes widened in surprise, and he turned around. Taking a deep breath, he took off his suit jacket and threw it away. Grabbing the pole with his right hand, he walked around it until he was facing Gladio again. This time, there was determination in his eyes. Ignis came to a halt, standing straight up with his back against the pole, his right arm above his head.

Gladio took in a sharp breath. Now that Ignis had taken off his silver jacket, Gladio got a better view of that black dress shirt. It looked way too sexy on his lover. 

Ignis stretched his legs far apart, bending his knees, and slid down into a squat. Licking his lips, he thrust his hips back and forth to the beat of the music, ass pressing against the pole.

" _Fuck!_ " Gladio exclaimed, pushed a hand against his mouth. His dick twitched inside his pants when his lover winked at him. 

Slowly, Ignis moved his body up again. Walking in circles to gain some momentum, Ignis eventually lifted himself up. After climbing a short distance, his hands left the pole as he held onto it with only his legs and ankles. Still rotating, he leaned back. His hands went up to his collar, where he loosened his necktie. After taking it off, Ignis let it fall to the ground. 

Heat was rushing through Gladio's body. Was it only his imagination, or was this dance really turning into a striptease? As if the pole dancing on its own wasn't sexy enough already.

His lover gracefully slipped back down. On tiptoes, he walked towards Gladio, eyes fixed on him. 

Gladio didn't know where to look. It was too much at once: a sharp green gaze, swift fingers opening the buttons of Ignis's dress shirt, long legs elegantly moving.

"Don't move," Ignis reminded him, pressing one of his sinful fingers against Gladio's lips. Not even daring to nod, Gladio merely let out a stuttered breath, clenching his fists to stop them from moving. A grin fell on his lover's lips before he leaned forward. Thin lips kissed against the side of Gladio's neck. When he felt his lover sucking on his tanned skin, teeth grazing Gladio's skin, he moaned, and his hips twitched. Ignis let his tongue swirl over the sensitive skin before he sucked on the same spot again. 

Biting down on his bottom lip, Gladio held his breath. He longed to _devour_ Ignis, wanted to turn him around, press him against the wall, and _fuck_ him.

When Ignis let go of his neck, Gladio took a deep breath. He needed to stay calm. He knew how rough he could get once he let go. And while his body wanted precisely that, his heart and mind were hesitating, afraid to scare off his lover or even hurt him. 

Ignis was walking backwards again. His shirt was unbuttoned, and with a lascivious grin on his lips, he let it drop to the floor. Gladio couldn't help but stare at that marvelous torso and these pink nipples. He longed to suck on them, knowing how much his lover enjoyed that, how beautifully it made him _moan_.

Grabbing the pole with his left hand, Ignis stood with his right side towards Gladio, eyes on him. Once again, Ignis came down to a wide-legged squat. But this time, he was facing the pole. Thrusting his hips back and forth, Ignis let his right hand travel from his knee over his thigh to his hip. Eventually, he put it on his ass and took a small step forward. As he moved his hips again, his groin collided with the pole, and Ignis moaned.

As Gladio watched his lover grinding against that pole, he almost lost it. On instinct, he took one step closer.

Immediately, Ignis stood up, raising a warning finger. 

A curse slipped from Gladio's lips as he took a step back again.

His lover winked at him as he walked around the pole on tiptoes. He came to a halt with his back against it, facing the window. Pressing his back and his ass against it, he slowly slid down and then back up again. His hands were somewhere on his front, where Gladio couldn't see them, and his imagination was already running wild. When his lover stretched out his arm to the side, he had his belt in his hands. Dropping it to the floor like the rest of his clothes before, Ignis grabbed the pole again. Skillfully, he climbed up a few steps, hooking his legs around it. As his hands let go of the metal, he let them trace over his torso as he leaned back. Still rotating around the pole, Ignis used his hands to massage his nipples. A breathy moan slipped from his lips, and he wrapped his legs tighter around the metal, pressing closer.

If this continued much longer, Gladio was afraid to come in his pants untouched. He couldn't remember the last time he been so aroused.

Seductively, his lover slid the pole back down. Once he reached the floor, he opened his pants. His eyes were fixed on Gladio, when he walked towards him, pants gliding to the floor along the way. Licking his lips, Ignis came to a halt in front of Gladio, wearing nothing but his black boxer briefs -with a prominent bulge- and his silver skull-pendant necklace. Raising himself on tiptoes, Ignis whispered into Gladio's ear, "Take me, Gladiolus." He moaned. "For real this time."

A shudder went through Gladio's whole body, and Ignis leaned back down with a hazy look in his eyes.   
" _For real_?" His voice sounded raspy as Gladio repeated the words. "What do you think we've been doing these last two days?" 

Ignis wrapped his arms around Gladio's neck. "You've been holding back out of consideration for me. Which I appreciate, but it's okay now." He placed a kiss against the hickey he had left on Gladio's neck earlier. "I want you, darling. _All_ of you."

Gladio had to close his eyes and take a deep breath. That wasn't a good idea. After only two times, his lover still wasn't used to his size. "Iggy, that's-"  
Ignis bit the skin over Gladio's hickey, causing him to take in a rapid breath. As he let go, sharp green eyes stared up at him. "Do I have to say it with _your_ words? Make me moan and scream out your name while you fuck me in the mattress, Gladiolus!" 

" _Fuck!_ " Gladio exclaimed as he felt the beast inside of him awakening. Grabbing his lover's ass cheek with his right hand, Gladio used it to pick him up from the floor. Ignis yelped in surprise but wrapped his legs around Gladio, pressing their trapped erections together. 

" _Promise_ you'll tell me to _stop_ if it gets too much," Gladio managed to exhale as he already carried his lover through the hallway.   
"Promised," his lover replied breathlessly.

When they reached the bedroom, Gladio _threw_ Ignis on the bed. His lover yelped again, and Gladio ripped off his own dress shirt, some buttons popping off and dropping to the floor.   
"Get naked," Gladio ordered as he opened the belt to finally step out of his pants and underwear. Without any hesitation, he opened the top drawer of the nightstand, where they kept the lube. As a matter of prudence, they had added a box of Gladio's large-sized condoms as well yesterday. Taking one out, he threw it on the bed. 

Ignis was staring at him the whole time, breath labored in anticipation. He had taken his glasses and his underwear off. 

Gladio kneeled on the bed, lube in his hand. "Get on all fours." While his lover obeyed, Gladio already coated the fingers of his right hand with lube. He was way too aroused to spend any more time with foreplay. "Spread your legs a bit further," he instructed, and Ignis moved his knees further apart. 

When Gladio stroked over Ignis's entrance, it twitched against his touch. "Fuck, Iggy. You're so needy for me, aren't you?"  
"Yes." Ignis moved his hips back, pressing his ass against the fingers. Gladio didn't waste any more time and slipped the first one inside. A content moan slipped from Ignis's lips, and his hips pushed against him. 

With his left hand, Gladio grabbed his lover's hips, holding him in place. As he quickly thrusted his finger into his lover, curling and rotating it, he placed his lips on Ignis's ass cheeks. Sucking on the soft skin, tracing his teeth over it, he made his lover moan. At once, he inserted another finger, spreading them to widen the hot tightness.

"Gladiolus!" Ignis called out in need, and Gladio sped up his movements. His mouth traveled further down, leaving hickeys on Ignis's ass and thighs. 

At some point, he inserted a third finger, making his lover groan loudly. Gladio's own erection was leaking and twitching in need. His mouth let go of Ignis's soft skin as he reached for the condom. Ripping it open with one hand and his mouth, he put it on his aching hardness. After spreading some lube on it, he took his fingers out of his lover's ass, wiping them on his own thigh.

"I'll take you now, babe." His voice was deep and raspy as he kneeled behind his lover on the bed.  
"Yes," Ignis replied breathlessly, still on his knees and his underarms. 

Grabbing his lover's hips with his left hand, he used his right one to line himself up against the puckering hole. When he pressed his tip inside, Ignis's breath stuttered. Gladio let his hand stroke up and down his lover's back. "Breath," he instructed, and Ignis did as he had been told. 

As he tried to push further inside, Ignis leaned forward on the bed. "Keep your hips steady," he directed, putting his other hand on Ignis's hip as well to get a firm grip. Steadily, he pressed his whole length inside, and his lover cried out in bliss. "Fuck, babe. You're feeling so good."   
Another whine filled the room.

Eager to hear that sound again, Gladio moved his hips back until only his tip remained inside. He waited a moment before he pushed forward once more. Ignis cried out in surprise. " _Ha!_ "  
"Good?" Gladio asked smugly.  
"Yes," Ignis breathed out, his forehead resting against the mattress. "Do it again."

Gladio didn't need to be told twice. Holding onto his lover's hips, he pulled back only to push back in again. 

Unsteady at first, he soon found a faster rhythm, and their breaths sped up accordingly. As he put more power into every thrust, the bedroom soon got filled with obscene slapping noises. It felt so good to bury his erection in this hot, tensing heat, to actually _move_ this time, rubbing against each other. That was what Gladio had missed these last two days, no matter how great their slow sex had felt. The friction. 

Gripping Ignis's hips tighter, Gladio closed his eyes as he continued to fuck his lover hard. It was amazing how different it felt from their sweet love-making yesterday. "Gods, yes," Gladio moaned as his body moved on its own, relishing this unbelievable tightness around his cock.

Losing track of time, Gladio kept pounding that delicious ass harder with every thrust.

Ignis's moans turned into raspy cries, loud even though they were muffled by the mattress beneath his face. His toes were curling, and his fingers clenched into the bedsheets as his ass squeezed down Gladio's erection. 

Gladio could come from these sounds alone, but the tight heat that was clenching around his erection drove him closer to the edge even faster. As he felt that familiar heat coming up inside of him, he leaned forward. Lying his chest on his lover's sweaty back, his left hand held on to Ignis's hipbone. His right hand was reaching around his lover's body to wrap around his erection. 

Ignis cried out, loud and needy.  
"Yeah, babe," Gladio moaned against his lover's ear. "Come for me."  
His hips never stopped thrusting, his movements getting faster and more erratic as he placed wet kisses across his lover's neck and shoulder.

Ignis's whole body tensed, the walls of his hole clenching impossibly tight around Gladio as he held his breath. Gladio kept hammering against his lover's prostate, and Ignis came with a loud cry. Turned on by that sound, Gladio reached his own orgasm, biting in the crook of Ignis's neck. 

For a moment, they stayed in that position, lying on the bed, hips propped up. When Gladio felt his lover's body slacking down, he slowly pulled out of him. Taking off the condom, he made a knot in it and threw it into the small trash can they had placed in the bedroom yesterday.

Still breathless, Ignis's knees gave in, and he fell to his side, eyes closed. Now that Gladio was slowly coming down from his high, he was starting to get worried. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," his lover replied, but his voice was hoarse. Leaning closer, Gladio noticed his lover's face shimmering in the pale moonlight. Carefully, he touched Ignis's cheeks. That wasn't just sweat. Those were remnants of tears.   
" _Fuck!_ Did I hurt you?"  
"I'm fine," Ignis repeated again, weakly. "It was intense." He tried to lift his upper body, but his arms gave out beneath him. "My apologies. I don't think I can move to the bathroom." He coughed.

Gladio placed a quick soft kiss on his lover's lips. "You've done so well for me, Iggy. Just rest and let me take care of everything. I'll get you something to drink first."

Sprinting towards the kitchen, he filled a glass with water. After quickly gulping it all down in one go, he refilled it and went back to the bedroom. 

Ignis was still lying in the same position, his eyes closed. "Iggy?" Carefully, Gladio touched his lover's shoulder. He was getting cold. Putting the glass on the nightstand, Gladio picked up the blanket, intending to wrap it around his lover.  
"It will get dirty," he said hoarsely.  
Of _fucking_ course, his lover was worried about something like that even when he was halfway knocked-out.

"Can you sit up?" Gladio asked. In the meantime, he took the clean blanket and the cushion from the bed. Pulling free the edges of the already dirty sheets, Gladio carefully wrapped them around his lover's shoulder as he helped him to sit up. Reaching for the nightstand, he grabbed the glass of water and held it to Ignis lips. The first sips were slow, but soon he greedily drank more of the revitalizing liquid, putting his hands around the glass. 

Once it was half empty, Ignis handed it back. Gladio put it on the nightstand. "I'll get you to the bathroom now."   
Standing up, he carefully put his lover up, taking the dirty sheets with him to the other room.

"Close your eyes. I'll turn on the lights." Hitting the switch, Gladio squeezed his own eyes shut against the sudden brightness. He took in a sharp breath when he noticed his lover's swollen eyes and red face. They really had done it too roughly. "Do you want a bath?"  
"Too exhausted," his lover replied, voice still strained but not as raspy as before. "Toilet," he added shyly.   
Carefully, Gladio set his lover down on the toilet seat. After making sure that Ignis wouldn't fall down, Gladio turned around and threw the sheets to the small pile of dirty clothes next to the washing machine. After picking up two washcloths, he first washed Ignis, then himself. 

Once they were clean, he picked up his shaking lover. Quickly, he carried him back to the bedroom and sat him down on the mattress, handing him the blanket. "Where do you keep your fresh sheets?"  
"Left side of the wardrobe, top shelf," Ignis explained, wrapping the blanket around him.

Gladio found what he had searched and quickly put the fresh sheets on the mattress. "You're still shivering. You shouldn't sleep naked."  
"Top drawer," Ignis said, nodding toward the middle part of his wardrobe that had drawers. After opening it, Gladio found some pajamas. Taking out the dark blue one that lay on the top, he helped Iggy into the pants. When he noticed the tiny buttons on the pajama top, he groaned. 

His lover reached out for it, opening the top button. "Just pull it over my head."  
Thanks to all the times Gladio had had to dress his little sister, he managed to do so without hurting his lover. With one knee on the bed, Gladio picked up his lover again. Carefully, he placed him from the edge to the middle of the mattress.  
"My phone," Ignis whispered.  
"I'll get it," Gladio replied. He knew that Ignis used his phone as an alarm clock as well. Furthermore, they needed to be available by phone in case something came up with Noctis.

Going to the room next door, Gladio grabbed Ignis's phone. Turning off the music and the lights, he went back to the bedroom. After picking his own phone up from his pants pockets, Gladio put them both on the nightstand. "Do you want more water?"  
"I want cuddles."

Gladio felt his heart almost bursting out of his chest at that sweet reply. "Everything for you," he said, lying down next to his lover, pulling up the blanket. Softly, he wrapped his arms around him and placed a quick kiss on his cheek. 

It didn't take long until they both fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you've enjoyed reading! Feel free to drop a comment, reading your thoughts and impressions keeps me going ♥  
> I'm using Twitter on a daily basis, so if you're ever interested in any updates, you know where to look!  
> [Check out my Profile to find me on Tumblr or Twitter!](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SophiaHoppia/profile)  
> [Or simply check out my other fanfictions!](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SophiaHoppia/works)


	22. 15.2. [Tuesday] - I'm fine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gladio (and everyone else) keeps making a fuss because of last night.

The ringing sound of Gladio's alarm was getting louder and more annoying with every passing second. He had ignored it for quite a while, but it just wouldn't stop.

Reluctantly, he eventually turned around to his left side, his arm reaching out for the nightstand. To his surprise, his lover was still lying in bed next to him. Gladio grabbed his phone and turned off the annoying sounds. Checking the clock on the display, he realized that it was indeed time to get up. And he could swear that he had heard Ignis's alarm earlier while Gladio had still been half asleep.

Carefully, he shook his lover's shoulder, the fabric of his pajamas soft beneath his fingertips.   
"Iggy? We've gotta get up." 

Eyes wide, Ignis shot up to sit upright in bed. As soon as he had moved, though, he clenched his eyes shut again, arms wrapping around his abdomen, a painful groan slipping from his lips.

Gladio felt panic rising up inside of him as he remembered last night. Apparently, their love-making session had been even rougher than he had thought. " _Shit_ , are you-"

"I'm fine!" Ignis exclaimed at once, avoiding his gaze. Without further ado, he put on his glasses and grabbed his phone from the nightstand to check the time. " _Bloody hell_. I must have fallen asleep again."

As Ignis quickly got out of bed, he winced once more. Gladio immediately got up as well, a worried expression on his face as he carefully reached out to his lover.  
Annoyed, Ignis took a step to the side, avoiding his touch. "Don't look at me like that. I'm just a bit sore."

" _A bit_?" Gladio repeated, voice filled with disbelief as he agitatedly raked a hand through his hair. "Fuck, Iggy. You can't even move without grimacing. I'm so-" 

Before Gladio could finish his apology, Ignis had put a finger against his lips to shut him up. In his other hand, he had his phone, pressing it against his ear. Just as Gladio wondered who his lover was calling this early in the morning, he started talking.

"Good morning, Noct." Ignis's voice was soft yet professional - as if nothing was out of the ordinary. "My apologies, I might be a bit late today. Please have some breakfast on your own." He held his phone between his cheek and shoulder as he walked to the wardrobe. "No, don't worry. Everything is alright." Ignis took out some clothes -his usual work attire- before he sighed. "No, you _can't_ sleep for ten more minutes." 

Closing the wardrobe again, Ignis looked at Gladio, who had just been standing there doing nothing. Pulling up an eyebrow, Ignis nodded towards Gladio's travel bag that lay on the floor. Gladio knew that he had to dress and get ready for work, but he was still too worried about his lover. He hadn't missed that Ignis was moving slower than usual, made smaller steps, and took in sharp breaths when he tried to mask the pain. 

"Please get up, Noct. We have an important council meeting first thing in the morning. I'll pick you up as soon as possible." Ending the call, Ignis took a deep breath to hold back a sigh.

As he already turned around to leave for the bathroom, Gladio called out to him. "Iggy, wait." 

"Gladiolus, there is no time to wait." His lover's voice was as sharp as his gaze, tinged with annoyance. "I can't be late for that council meeting." 

Before Gladio could answer, his lover had fled to the bathroom, loudly throwing the door shut behind him. 

Perplexed, Gladio just stood there, staring at the closed door. They could have saved some time by going to the bathroom together if Ignis was so worried about being late. But apparently, he really didn't want to talk to Gladio right now. Was he mad because of last night? Thinking back, Gladio realized all the little signs he should have noticed during sex yesterday. Ignis had been too tense, clenching way too much no matter how good that had felt for Gladio. Furthermore, he had hidden his face, hadn't talked much, and some of his cries had sounded more uncomfortable than pleased. 

_Fuck_. If only Gladio had been more attentive in the heat of the moment. Instead, he was only realizing all of that now when it already had been too late. But he had trusted his lover to speak up and tell him to _stop_ like promised if it got too much. Maybe Ignis enjoyed the pain? It wasn't impossible, but somehow Gladio doubted that this was true. It was more realistic to think that Ignis either had been too far gone in pleasure to realize all the accompanying pain or that he had endured it to let Gladio have his way with him. 

Now that Gladio thought about it, he remembered their conversation during yesterday's lunch. His lover had told him to stop holding back and had asked if there was anything he could do for him. What if Ignis hadn't enjoyed yesterday's sex and only went along with it to please Gladio? That wasn't what Gladio wanted. Not at all. Sure, it was okay to accommodate your partner with some things, but sex should always be pleasurable for all participants. 

Shaking his head, Gladio went to his travel bag and took out some clothes. Making Ignis wait wouldn't help in any way either, and it had been obvious that his lover wasn't in the mood to talk about the topic now anyway.

By the time Gladio had dressed, Ignis came out of the bathroom and already hurried towards the kitchen. Quickly, Gladio brushed his teeth and washed his face. When he walked to the main room, Ignis put some papers from his desk into his working bag. 

On the dining table was the bouquet of red roses Gladio had given to Ignis. Thinking back to how Gladio had acted during the first half of their dinner and in bed last night, he deserved to get it smacked in his face. Yet instead, the flowers were standing in a beautiful glass vase, in full bloom as if to mock him. Next to it were two cans of Ebony -one already opened- and two slices of bread with ham and cheese. His lover grabbed the opened can and took another sip from the coffee. "You can eat in the car."

"Okay. Thanks," Gladio replied, grabbing his breakfast as he followed Ignis out of the flat and down to the car. 

They drove the first few minutes in uncomfortable silence while Gladio chewed on his bread without tasting much. He was pretty sure that his lover had skipped breakfast, but the mood had been bad enough this morning. Gladio felt like addressing this would only make it worse.

"My apologies," Ignis whispered after a while. His eyes were still on the road, but his words had sounded sincere.

"Hm?" Gladio hummed since he had just taken a large bite out of his bread and knew that the other hated it when someone spoke with his mouth full.

"I know that I'm obnoxious before I had my first coffee in the morning," Ignis confessed guiltily. 

A relieved chuckle slipped from Gladio's lips. At least his lover wasn't mad at him. "I always thought you'd be a morning person." The playful tease helped to ease up the heavy mood that lingered between them.

"If I wake up early on my own, yes." Ignis picked up his can of Ebony and took a sip. "Otherwise, not without coffee."

Gladio snorted. It was good that he knew this now. "Duly noted."

They came to a halt at a red light.  
"My apologies again," Ignis said after turning his head to look at Gladio. There was a weak smile on his lips. "I know you were only worried about me."

Gladio's gaze turned serious as he stared into his lover's beautiful green eyes. "I still am."

At once, his lover averted his eyes again, watching the red light instead. Somehow it felt as if he was trying to get away from talking about it. "It's fine."

"It's not like I don't believe you, but you should see how your face twists with pain when you move." Just remembering it made Gladio feel guilty again. He was to blame for the state his lover was in today. If he could, he would do anything to help him. "You sure you don't need a potion?"

"They are for _emergencies_ , Gladiolus," Ignis said, a bit annoyed, hitting the gas pedal as the light turned green again. 

While Gladio couldn't deny that this wasn't a real emergency, it still wasn't to be taken lightly either. But knowing that Ignis could be stubborn, Gladio took a different approach. "Some pain killers?"

"No," Ignis denied without considering the offer for even a second. "I try to avoid taking anything that could cloud my mind." 

Gladio didn't think that one little pain killer would cloud his lover's mind, but he wouldn't start a discussion about that now. "You are not bleeding, are you?"

" _Gods, no!_ I'm really just a bit sore, Gladiolus. I'm not playing this down." Checking the time, Ignis clicked his tongue. Before Gladio could say anything else, his lover added, "Could you call Noct? Tell him to come down. We don't have time to go up to his apartment."

With a sigh, Gladio took out his phone and called their charge.  
"Yeah?" Noctis picked up the call and yawned.  
"Morning, sleeping beauty. We'll be there in a minute, so move your royal ass down."  
"You're with Iggy?" The prince's voice had sounded more than suspicious.  
"Yeah," Gladio confirmed, although there was a question behind it.

There was a short pause before the prince spoke up again. "I probably don't wanna know _why_ you're late."  
"Because we _overslept_ ," Gladio replied at once. Noticing that it sounded like a cheap excuse, he added, "Seriously."  
"Sure." From the sound of his voice, Noctis didn't believe him. "I'll wait for you downstairs."

After rounding two more corners, Ignis stopped in front of the prince's apartment. Noctis, who had just come down, got into the backseat of the car, and Ignis immediately got back on the road. 

"Yo," Gladio greeted, but Noctis didn't reply, his gaze fixed on his advisor. It was unusual to see such a serious expression on the prince's face this early in the morning. For a second, Ignis looked at the rearview mirror. But immediately, his eyes returned to the road in front of him again.

"Something's not right," Noctis mumbled.  
"It's fine," Ignis replied at once. Gladio blinked in confusion. There was no way Noctis could have noticed anything, could he?

The prince crossed his arms. "If it's fine, why don't you tell me?"  
"Noct," Ignis whispered, half as a plea, half as a warning.  
"You're tense, and you're avoiding our eyes," Noctis mentioned his observations. "You're avoiding Gladio's cause he either did something stupid, or you've had a fight. And you're avoiding mine since you know I'd notice and get mad at Gladio." 

Gladio had to admit that he was surprised by this deduction. Sometimes he forgot how attentive their prince could be, especially when it came to Ignis.

His lover grabbed the steering wheel a bit tighter. "I'm _fine_. How many more times do I have to say this today?" With a sigh, Ignis reached for his coffee can. 

Before anyone could add more to the topic, he began talking about the council meeting he and Noct had to attend in a few minutes. The prince rolled his eyes at this blatant attempt to change the subject, but he gave in - for now. Judging by Noctis's stern gaze, he wouldn't back down that easily and ask Ignis again later.

Gladio felt bad.

He really shouldn't have overdone it like that. With a deep breath, he vowed to be more careful from now on.

When Ignis parked the car two minutes before eight, he and Noct jumped out of it and ran towards the meeting room. 

Since Gladio still had half an hour before the recruits' training began, he didn't hurry on his way to the training grounds. 

Only when he walked through the halls of the Citadel and a glaive he knew grinned after spotting him, Gladio remembered something important. Domicella had seen him and Ignis yesterday. Therefore, the whole Citadel probably knew about him and Ignis by now.

"I've heard you've got a fiancée?" the black-haired man -Gladio had forgotten his name- asked with a smirk, and Gladio frowned. The rumors from yesterday were still circulating? 

"Please tell me you don't believe these stupid rumors."   
The glaive burst out laughing. "It was too wild to be true, especially since the maid who told me doesn't even know you."  
Gladio frowned. "It wasn't Domicella?"  
"Nope." The glaive shook his head. "When I saw her yesterday, she only said it had to be something big and serious since you wouldn't give her any details."

Now that Gladio thought about it, he realized that while Domicella was too curious and never shut up about anything, she was always intent on knowing the _truth_. She wasn't just telling any baseless rumors. Well, after yesterday evening, she should have enough proof for another story about Gladio's love life.

"It's serious," Gladio replied with a proud smile since he could tell this much. "But it's no fiancée, and I'm not mad at my dad."  
The glaive laughed once more. "It's crazy how rumors are always going wild. Someone even said that Cor the Immortal got together with one of the maids. Isn't that hilarious? As if someone as cold-hearted and strict as the marshall would ever have a relationship."

Gladio forced himself to laugh. "Unbelievable, haha, yeah."  
The glaive patted his upper arm before he continued his way down the hall, and Gladio slumped his shoulders in relief.

" _Unbelievable_ , huh?"

He flinched in surprise and turned around as Domicella suddenly spoke up behind him.  
With a stern gaze, Gladio met her green eyes. "Have you been eavesdropping?"

The blonde maid put her hands on her hips. "I just happened to be nearby and overheard someone talking."

Gladio pulled up an eyebrow in disbelief. 

"And then I've hidden behind the corner and continued to listen to you, yes," she admitted, her eyes darting to the side for a short moment. 

Surprised by this honest confession, Gladio blinked. "Never missing a chance to gather some news, aren't you?"  
The maid snickered as she threw him a peace sign. "You know me too well."

Actually, Gladio really knew a few things about her. In the beginning, she might have been nothing but one of his many one-night stands, but by now, he enjoyed her company. She was more than just a usual workmate, and he was genuinely happy that, apparently, it all worked out between her and Cor.

"Did you have a nice evening?" he asked.  
After hearing the question, her eyes immediately sparkled. "Oh, yes," she moaned, and Gladio chuckled. At least she hadn't had a messed up date night like Gladio - although that was solely his fault. 

Taking a deep breath, he tried to stop his negative thoughts. Mentally beating himself up over it wouldn't make anything undone. The only thing he could do was being more careful during sex in the future. And he should stop wearing too tiny suits.

Thinking back to yesterday, he should probably talk to Domicella about keeping relationships secret.

"Does it bother you that people are already talking about you and Cor?"   
She made a denying gesture with her hand. "Not at all. I don't mind, and he doesn't either."

"Well, about me and-" Gladio rubbed the back of his neck "-you know who-"  
"Don't worry," Domicella interrupted him. "I had to promise to keep your date a secret." She sighed, obviously not pleased to have to keep quiet about such a big story. "And my master will only reward me if I'm a _good_ girl."

Crossing his arms, Gladio grinned. "Looks like your _master_ knows you very well after such a short time. I'm impressed." 

She blushed as a confirmative hum left her lips. "He knows what I need and doesn't hesitate to give it to me. We've talked it all through on the weekend and set up the rules and no-goes. We're a good match, really."

"I'm happy for you."

"Thanks!" She flashed him a wide grin, her white teeth visible. The next moment, there was a scheming smirk. "I know I'm not allowed to tell anyone, but _you_ could still tell _me_ about your evening."

While Gladio felt the need to brag about their night -pole dance, striptease, rough sex- he didn't intend to share too many details. Maybe with Nyx, but not with Domicella. She and Ignis weren't that close but worked together. But most of all, Gladio's memory about last night got overshadowed by the fact that he had hurt Ignis. Even if his lover insisted on being fine, Gladio didn't think that Ignis was into _painful_ sex. They really needed to talk about this. Communication is the key, after all.

"Eos to Gladio," Domicella said, waving a hand in front of his face. "Are you still here, or are you reliving yesterday's events?"

"Sorry." Gladio uncrossed his arms and smirked. "It's been a nice evening. Telling you about it would be NSFW." 

Giggling, she excitedly shifted her weight from one leg to the other and back. "Now I wanna know even more!"

There was a teasing grin on Gladio's face. "Won't tell." 

" _Boo!_ " She crossed her arms and pouted. "Then I won't give you any details, either!"

"I haven't even asked for details."   
For a moment, they stared at each other, awaiting another comeback. Yet eventually, it was only laughter that filled the halls of the Citadel. 

Domicella was the first to recover. "I don't want to keep you up any longer. Trust me when I say that you _don't_ want to be late."

Gladio snorted. "No need to tell me. Everyone knows the marshall's wrath."

She wiggled her eyebrows, a smirk on her lips.

" _Not_ like _that_ ," Gladio corrected at once, grimacing.   
Domicella laughed once more before they both said their goodbyes and got to work. 

Until noon, Gladio was in charge of the recruits. Since Cor would also be there today, they could exchange their opinions about the progress everyone had made. Intending to join them for a few battles as well, Gladio changed into his training clothes.

At the training grounds, he greeted everyone and gave out instructions. Today, they would focus on hand to hand fights. 

As he stood on the sidelines, arms crossed, he observed their movements. 

It didn't take long until Cor walked towards him and came to a halt next to him. "Has she spread any rumors about your date?" he asked without a word of greeting, his eyes on the recruits.

Gladio snorted. As always, Cor got right to the point without wasting any time. "I haven't heard anything yet."

"Tell me if she ever misbehaves," the marshall instructed, face stoic. "I'll take care of it."

"By spanking her?" Gladio flinched as the words had left his mouth. Once again, he had blurted out his thoughts without thinking first. Maybe he shouldn't have such a detailed conversation about this BDSM lifestyle with his direct superior. Yet then again, Cor had been the one who had brought up the topic.

"Don't be stupid, Amicitia boy." For the first time today, Cor looked at him. He hadn't moved his head, but his eyes had left the recruits to watch Gladio instead for a second. "Getting spanked is like a reward for her."

Relieved that he could openly talk about these topics with the marshall, Gladio didn't hold back any longer. "You know her well after only a few days."

"We've spent the weekend together and talked about it," Cor stated simply before his gaze turned sharp. " _Ullus!_ " he called out to one of the recruits, making the poor boy flinch in shock. "What's with the weak blows? Even a child could withstand those!"

"I'm sorry, sir!" the young man replied. Gladio knew that the guy usually had more power. But today, he had dark rings under his eyes. He was probably just tired. However, that wasn't an excuse to slack off during training - especially if the marshall was watching.

As if nothing had happened, Cor quietly continued his conversation with Gladio. "Furthermore, I've heard rumors before - including _you_ being with her once."

Gladio stood just a little bit straighter as he took in a sharp breath. "Is that a problem?"

"No." Cor snorted, the hint of a teasing smile on his face. "A softy like you couldn't satisfy all of her needs anyway."

Gladio's eyebrow twitched. He might not be as hardcore as Domicella or Cor were, but his night with Domicella had still been pleasurable. And he hadn't left her unsatisfied. Furthermore, while he did have a big heart and wasn't only muscles, he still wasn't a softy either. "I'm not-"

"I know," the older man interrupted him at once, and Gladio looked at him in surprise. 

"You-" Again, Gladio couldn't finish his sentence. 

"It was subtle, but I've noticed Scientia wincing when he ran through the hallway this morning," Cor explained, making Gladio flinch. "If you hurt the boy against his will, you won't incur only Regis's wrath." The marshall had turned his head to look at Gladio with a threatening gaze. A shudder went through Gladio's body. He had no idea where this sudden protective behavior was coming from. It wasn't new that Regis cared a great deal about Ignis, but Cor as well? 

"We were both too caught up in the heat of the moment." Not proud about this circumstance, Gladio massaged the back of his neck. "It won't happen again."

"Hmpf." Cor averted his gaze again. "These things can happen when you are young. Just make sure to talk about it and be more careful from now on." 

"I will," Gladio promised honestly. No matter how awesome the sex had felt, it wasn't worth it if he had to see Ignis's painful expression afterwards. 

Cor gave him another scrutinizing sideglance. "You don't need a lesson on the importance of aftercare, do you now?"

"No, don't worry. I immediately took care of Iggy last night. I offered more help this morning, but he got mad at me for fussing too much." Gladio's shoulders slumped down a bit. While he knew by now that Ignis had been a bit testy since he hadn't had his coffee first, Gladio still wasn't proud of how he had handled the situation this morning. 

A snort left the marshall's lips. "That's why you're a softy."

"I-" One sharp sideglance of Cor was enough to silence Gladio's retort.

"A certain amount of skepticism is healthy, but _trust_ his words when he says that he's fine."

Gladio's eyes widened in surprise. He hadn't thought about it from that point of view yet. Maybe he was the one who made a mountain out of a molehill with his excessive fussing. "Thanks for the advice."

"Don't mention it," Cor said with a stern expression. Gladio smiled. The other had a surprisingly soft and caring side hidden under that strict facade. Domicella was in good hands. "Stop grinning and show Ullus how to throw a decent punch."

"Yes, sir," Gladio replied, although he couldn't hold back a short chuckle. 

Joining the recruits for training was fun. Most of them really had stepped up their game lately. And while they still wouldn't stand a chance against Gladio in a real battle, they proved to be good enough as training partners. Some of their movements were still unrefined, but that just was another challenge for Gladio. 

At the end of their training session, he checked his phone.

Ignis:  
 _My apologies. I'm afraid I won't make it until lunch break._  
 _This meeting drags on endlessly._

"You joining us for lunch, big guy?" Prompto asked as Gladio put his phone down with a sigh. While he had looked forward to spending the lunch break with his lover, that option was off the table now. 

"Sure," he replied, forcing a smile on his lips. Prompto always was a good company as well.  
"Yay!" the blond exclaimed happily. When he checked his own phone, however, his face fell. "Noct can't make it. He's still in a meeting."

"Well, at least _I'm_ always here for you," Novus suddenly said, putting his arm around Prompto's shoulders. The blond smiled, but Gladio couldn't discern if it was genuine or forced.

Together they went to the Cafeteria. There wasn't much on the menu, yet they still needed a moment to decide. In the end, they all chose fish and rice. Additionally, Gladio bought two boxed lunches, intending to give them to Ignis and Noctis later. 

After searching for an empty table, they all sat down - Novus next to Prompto.

"Who gave you those hickeys?" the black-haired recruit asked with a smirk towards Gladio.  
"None of your business." While Gladio wouldn't mind telling Prompto about his relationship with Ignis, he didn't feel like sharing that information with Novus. "It's _not_ a fiancée," he added quickly to quell these stupid rumors.

"No matter who the lucky one is, I'm a bit jealous." Novus sighed. "I want hickeys as well. It's nice when someone kisses your neck." After a short scheming grin, he looked at Prompto with an innocent expression. "Don't you agree, Prom?"

"Huh?" The blond almost dropped his spoon full of rice. "Um, sure. Very nice."

Gladio had to hold back a snort, knowing full well that Prompto had no experience with someone sucking on his neck. The other threw him a desperate look, silently pleading not to spill his secret. If Prompto wanted to impress Novus by acting experienced, Gladio wouldn't interfere. Although he hoped that Prompto wouldn't dig his own grave somehow with this charade. 

Leaning closer, Novus whispered into Prompto's ear. "I wouldn't mind doing it for you."

It had been loud enough for Gladio to hear as well, and he just stared at the young recruit. His flirty nature wasn't any secret, but lately, he was getting bolder around Prompto. 

"Y-you don't have to," the blond stuttered.

" _Aaw_." Novus chuckled. "You're just as modest as me."

Gladio frowned. Prompto being as modest as Novus? Never. The blond might be shy, but the other was not. Novus only _pretended_ to be humble and innocent. 

"I'm not-" Prompto tried to retort, but Novus immediately interrupted him again.  
"You're so cute."  
Prompto's blush spread even further, up to his ears, as he averted his gaze. 

They spent their whole lunch break like that: Novus flirting, Prompto blushing, and Gladio wondering if Prompto only was so flustered because he wasn't used to such advances or if he actually liked Novus. It was a bit cringy to watch. Gladio made a mental note of investigating this further by talking to Prompto - when they were alone. After all, he couldn't ask the blond what he thought about Novus's advances with the man sitting right next to them.

After lunch, the two recruits went back to training while Gladio walked over to Ignis's office. He knocked, but there was no answer. When he tried to enter the office anyway, he realized that it was locked. 

That shouldn't be a surprise after last week's events. Ignis had gotten even more careful. 

Staring at the plastic bag containing two boxed lunches, Gladio felt at a loss. He really had hoped that Ignis -and Noctis- would have come back from the meeting by now. 

With not much choice left, he hung the bag at the door handle and took out his phone. 

Gladio:  
 _I've left some lunch for you and princess at your office door._

When there was no immediate reply, Gladio reluctantly left. While he wished to wait for his lover, he knew that he shouldn't waste his time sitting around. 

Instead, he went towards the training halls. Some of the glaives he knew were there, and one of them immediately asked if he was up for a sparring session. Although Gladio had intended to work out on his own a bit, he agreed at once. Improving his combat ability was never wrong, and he still hadn't mastered his skills with his shield. 

They spared for a bit, and Gladio somehow managed to concentrate on fighting instead of thinking about his lover.

When they took a short break, he checked his phone. Giddily, he noticed the message notification sign.

Noctis:  
 _Thanks for the food._  
 _Iggy told me what happened and that you'd both be more careful next time._

Honestly, Gladio had expected a harsher reaction from his prince once he learned that Gladio had hurt his precious friend. But he was glad that Noctis didn't try to lecture him about it. It had been nerve-wracking enough that Cor had berated him. Even if the marshall had been understanding, Gladio was disappointed in himself. He just wasn't proud that he had messed up so much that such a conversation had even been necessary. 

Gladio:  
 _I won't hurt him again. Promised._

After typing that quick response to the prince, he checked his other message.

Ignis:  
 _Thank you for bringing us lunch. My apologies for the inconvenience._

A snort left Gladio. As if such a little errand would have been any trouble. Yet then again, Gladio wasn't nearly as busy as the advisor was. Time had a different value for him. 

Gladio:  
 _No problem! Just tell me if you ever need anything else._

"Can we continue our battle, or are you going to stare at your phone forever?" the glaive Gladio had trained with asked.

Waiting another moment, Gladio hoped to get a reply from Ignis. Yet there was none. When he checked the time, he realized that Ignis had texted him almost two hours ago. Furthermore, he probably was at his magic training session with Nyx right now.

Taking in a sharp breath, Gladio fought against the idea that had just sparked inside his brain. What if he paid them a short visit? Seeing Ignis use magic would surely be a sight to behold. 

"Sorry, something came up. I've gotta go." It was a cheap excuse, and he felt a bit sorry for the glaive, but there were enough other people present that could act as a training partner for him. 

Without waiting for a reply, Gladio grabbed his stuff and ran through the hallways of the Citadel. Rationally, there was no need to hurry, but he just wanted to see his lover as soon as possible. He missed him. 

The training rooms designed to withstand magic spells were located at the back of the Citadel. Gladio rushed over there and checked the reservations. That way, it was easy to find Nyx and Ignis in training room number three. 

Once inside, Gladio immediately spotted his two friends. Ignis was wearing his tight dark blue leggings together with a thin long-sleeved white shirt. His lover had a rather uncomfortable expression on his face.

"Oh, look who's here," Nyx said to Gladio, his usually teasing voice furious as he crossed his arms. He was wearing his usual dark glaive uniform without the jacket. "When I've said you looked like Beast in that photo, I didn't think you'd _act_ like a beast as well."

Taken aback by this harsh welcome, Gladio could just stare at his best friend. Were they talking about what Gladio thought they were talking about? He wouldn't put it past his best friend to take one look at Ignis and realize that he was sore. 

"Nyx," Ignis called out to the glaive, "it is under no circumstances his fault, I-"

"You're _both_ at fault." Nyx's voice was as strict as his gaze as he looked at Ignis. "You were probably too tense, clenching down on him. You've gotta relax more." His lover bit his bottom lip, gaze cast downwards. Nyx turned around to look at Gladio. "And you've gotta stop when he tenses up or cries out in _pain_ , you big idiot."

Ashamed, Gladio rubbed the back of his neck. It's not like he could retort anything against the truth. It was his fault for not paying enough attention. 

"Or are you into pain?" Nyx asked suddenly, more softly than before, as he uncrossed his arms.

"No, I don't think that I am," Ignis replied at once, a slight frown on his face. "However, I was so overwhelmed that, despite being aware of the pain, I didn't realize what it meant. My apologies. That doesn't make sense, does it?"

The small smile on Nyx's face could almost be described as pitiful. "I get it, pretty boy. The good feelings just covered the bad ones. At least you still enjoyed it." His gaze turned a bit more serious again. "I was afraid you might have gone along with it only to please this guy."

Taking in a sharp breath, Gladio felt his heart beating faster. He had had the same thought earlier today.

"No!" Ignis's eyes widened in surprise. " _I've_ wanted this as well."

After a short scrutinizing gaze, Nyx gave in. "Okay. _But_ you two can get rough and intense without being _that_ sore afterwards."

"I'll be more careful from now on," Gladio promised. He had watched that exchange long enough without speaking up.

"What are you doing here, anyway?" Nyx asked with a frown, hands on his hips. 

"I need to learn about your magic attacks in case we have to fight side by side one day." As soon as the words had left Gladio's lips, both men stared at him with an eyebrow pulled up. It was apparent that they didn't buy his lame excuse. "Well, and maybe I missed Iggy. And wanted to see him use magic." He looked at his lover. "And even though you said you're fine, and I do trust your words, I'm still worried."

"Stop babbling, you love-sick fool," Nyx ordered, rolling his eyes. However, there was still a smile on his lips. Before Ignis could speak, Nyx interrupted him. "Don't get distracted by our visitor, pretty boy. _Someone_ challenged me yesterday, threatening to melt my ice magic." His eyes were sparkling as he smirked. "Come on, try to land a hit on me. I'll show you a nice trick."

Ignis's eyes darted to Gladio for merely a second before he watched his opponent. The air felt charged with anticipation as Ignis studied Nyx for any signs of his so-called _trick_. Beckoning Ignis to attack, the glaive grinned. 

Summoning his training daggers, Ignis threw one right at the glaive. Smirking, Nyx moved his arm upwards to erect an ice wall right in front of him. The weapon bounced off, falling to the ground with a clattering sound. Crossing his arms, Nyx wiggled his eyebrows.

Ignis clicked his tongue. After concentrating for a short moment, he engulfed his dagger with magical fire and threw it against the icy wall. Yet, just as his first try, it got repelled. There wasn't even a crack in the ice. 

"Impressed?" Nyx asked teasingly.  
Ignis immediately acknowledged his defeat. "Please teach me how to do this. And then how to break through it."

"Of course. I've got enough time to teach you - even if it takes the whole night," Nyx added, his voice sounding bitter.

His lover pulled up an eyebrow, and Gladio asked what they were probably both thinking. "Did your plans for tonight got canceled?"

With a sigh, Nyx dispelled his magic, and the ice wall dissipated into cool air. "Domicella called and told me about her new master."

"Ah, yeah." Gladio rubbed the back of his neck. "We know about them." It had all happened so fast and unexpected that Gladio had forgotten that Nyx and Domicella met from time to time.

"Don't get me wrong, I'm happy for her," Nyx explained with a deep sigh. "Lately, it just feels like I'm losing all my friends with benefits."

Gladio got hit by a pang of guilt. After all, he had been the first to leave Nyx in that kind of way - even though they were still friends. "Sorry, man."

"It's okay, eagle boy," his best friend smiled at him. "I'm happy for you, really. And I've still got Crowe."

"Would you ever settle for someone?" Ignis asked carefully.  
"Maybe." Nyx shrugged his shoulders. "Would have to find the right person first."  
Deep in thought, Ignis grabbed his chin. "Do you have a type?"  
A hum left his best friend. "I like strong-willed people, similar to Crowe, who dare to talk back to me. But they should still be elegant and beautiful. Also, blonde. I like light hair colors. And, of course, they need to be good enough for me - the most attractive man on Eos. So, maybe a princess?"

While this had started seriously, Gladio couldn't help but laugh when Nyx got more specific and unrealistic with every point he added. As if one day a beautiful blonde princess would step up to him, unfaced by his overwhelming character, and stand her ground against him. Of course, he wished his friend nothing but the best. Yet still, it was unlikely to happen.

To his surprise, Ignis had a genuine smile on his face. "If anyone could manage to seduce a princess, it's you."

" _Aaw_ , thanks, pretty boy. You know that my charm is irresistible, don't you?" With a smirk, Nyx wiggled his eyebrows.   
Ignis averted his gaze, clearing his throat. "So, about that ice wall?"  
"Yeah, yeah. Give me the cold shoulder." Theatrically, Nyx sighed but started to give out instructions anyway. Gladio leaned back against the wall of the training hall and watched the two.

"You've gotta focus on the spot where you want to erect the ice wall and then pull it up." 

It sounded like a vague explanation to Gladio, but he knew nothing about magic anyway.

Ignis lifted his arm, his hand glistening with a glacial fog before an icy trail appeared in front of him. He clicked his tongue.

Nyx hummed in thought. "Try to freeze the wall from bottom to top. You need to get a feeling for pulling the magic _up_. I know you can do it. Just remember how you froze Levis's legs last week."

"That happened by instinct," Ignis admitted reluctantly. "I can't recall how I have done it."  
  
"Focus on the ground," Nyx instructed. He held up his hand, his eyes fixed on the edge between the floor and the wall. Furrowing his brows, he froze it. "You can take it slow to get a feeling for it." Step by step, the ice kept spreading up the wall. "But I find it easier to do it quickly." Swifty, Nyx pulled his arm up, and the ice covered the wall up to the ceiling. 

Gladio whistled in appreciation, and his best friend bowed. After dissolving the spell, Nyx took a step to the side, making room for Ignis. Eyebrows furrowed in concentration, Ignis focused on the wall. Yet instead of freezing it from bottom to top as Nyx had done, only the edge got covered in thick ice. An unusual sound of frustration left his lover's lips, and Gladio blinked in surprise. Handling magic must be even more difficult than he had thought if even Ignis had such troubles with it.

"Don't try to look cool in front of your boyfriend." Nyx snorted, and Ignis tried to stare at him in a reprimanding way. With his flustered face, though, he didn't look intimidating. "If necessary, use the momentum of your whole body to pull up the magic."

Nyx got into position again but crouched down this time. With both arms outstretched, he quickly got up as he covered the wall in ice. 

Mimicking Nyx's pose, Ignis got down as well. Gladio didn't miss how his lover's eye twitched once, his sore abdomen still giving him trouble. For a moment, Gladio had almost forgotten about it.

When Ignis shot up again, shirt riding up from the fast movement, he managed to freeze at least half of the wall. Relieved and also a bit proud, Ignis looked at his magic teacher. Nyx, however, had a stern gaze fixed on Ignis and not on the wall. "Lift your shirt."

Immediately, his lover grabbed the hem of his shirt, pulling it further down. "That's-"  
"Pretty boy." Nyx had sounded serious and reprimanding.   
Gladio, who had no idea what was going on, got a few steps closer. His eyes widened in shock when his lover eventually lifted up his shirt to reveal some bruises around his hipbone, some more probably hidden beneath the waistband of his leggings. Gladio came to a halt as he stared at the display. 

Ignis took in a sharp breath as Nyx carefully touched the bruised skin. "It's not swollen," the glaive uttered in realization.

"It doesn't hurt either," Ignis added quickly. "I merely have pale skin, and bruises show rather quickly."

Like in a trance, Gladio got closer. Reaching out, he held his hand over the bruises without directly touching the skin. The marks perfectly matched his fingers. He remembered grabbing those hips yesterday when Ignis's knees had given out from too much pleasure - or had it been too much _pain_? However, he didn't recall clutching them with such a force that it would leave marks.

" _Fuck._ " Gladio felt sick and pulled back his shaking hand. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine," Ignis said immediately, pulling his shirt back down. "I expected them to show up and knew you would worry too much. That's why I went to the bathroom alone this morning."

"Fuck, Iggy. Don't hide these things from me." With wide eyes, Gladio stared at his lover. This was nothing to be played down. This was serious. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize this any sooner."

"It's okay," his lover emphasized once more.

Nyx crossed his arms, shifting his weight from one leg to the other. "You still shouldn't hide it. If it really is okay, there is no reason to anyway."

A sigh left Ignis's lips. "Alright."  
The expression on Nyx's face still showed worry.

"Are you sure they don't hurt?" Gladio couldn't help but ask. Hurting his lover was the last thing he wanted to do, yet it felt like he had messed up pretty badly last night. "I'm so-"

With a roll of his eyes, Ignis clicked his tongue and interrupted him. "I appreciate your concern, but would you two stop fussing already?! I'm not made of sugar - I won't melt."

Taken aback by that sudden outburst, Gladio blinked.   
"Aw, but you're so _sweet_ yet still _hot_ , pretty boy," Nyx playfully went along, trying to lift the spirits again. 

Ignoring that comment, Ignis simply raged on. "Furthermore, Gladiolus's neck looks far worse than my hips. So why does everyone only worry about _me_?"

"Huh?" Self-consciously, Gladio put a hand on his neck, covering the spot that was covered with the most bitemarks.

Nyx shrugged his shoulders. "It's common knowledge that eagle boy enjoys to get and to show off some hickeys." Before anyone could reply, he added. "Okay, back to training."

"But-" Gladio got interrupted by a sharp gaze from his best friend.  
"Stop distracting my poor magic student."  
He frowned. "I'm not-"  
"Why don't you use the time to train a bit as well?" Nyx suggested casually, but Gladio knew him well enough. There had to be some ulterior motives, even if he couldn't point them out yet.

Crossing his arms, he stared at his best friend. "You know I can't use magic."  
Nyx shrugged playfully. "Well, then do something you can."  
"Like?"  
"Some push-ups?"  
"That's easy." Gladio snorted and immediately got down to the ground.

"Well then, let's make it at least a bit more challenging," Nyx uttered with his sultry voice. Gladio didn't have to ask what his friend meant since he suddenly felt a weight on his back. Nyx had sat down crossed-legged. It wasn't the first time they were doing this. A little extra weight was welcome when Gladio was up for a challenge - and as an Amicitia, he was always up for them.

It took him a moment to gather enough force, but eventually, Gladio moved his body up and down. Once he had started, he found a good rhythm.

"Nuh-uh," Nyx hummed denyingly. "Don't get distracted by this raw display of strength, pretty boy."  
"I wasn't," Ignis dismissed the accusation at once.  
"You _were_." Knowingly, Nyx chuckled in amusement.

Gladio didn't need to see his best friend's face to know that there was a smirk on his lips. Without stopping his push-ups, Gladio looked to his side. Catching Ignis's eyes, his lover quickly averted his gaze, but Gladio hadn't missed the red cheeks. 

When Gladio realized that Nyx had given him an opportunity to show off, he sped up his movements. 

"Freeze the wall, pretty boy," Nyx instructed with a sweet, susurrant voice.   
"Right." Ignis cleared his throat. 

From his current position, Gladio could watch his lover perform his magic. Even though it still wasn't perfect, he was impressed by how quickly Ignis improved. Every time his lover looked over to Nyx for further instructions, his gaze traveled towards Gladio. Whenever their eyes met, they both averted their gaze again, feeling caught. Yet their eyes always flickered back to each other a second later. Gladio licked his lips as Ignis chewed on his bottom lip. 

Nyx only chuckled in amusement again.

Gladio felt his cheeks heating up. He didn't even know what he was feeling embarrassed for. By now, he knew that Ignis liked his strength. However, he wasn't used to getting checked out by him to such an extent. 

For a while, they continued like that. Ignis tried to improve his ice wall spell while Gladio did one push-up after another. Their eyes were always drifting back to each other, watching in awe how impressive the other was. It didn't take long until Gladio felt some kind of tension building up between them. Instead of averting their gazes, they had started to grin at each other. A mockingly pulled up eyebrow here, a teasing grin there - they were silently flirting with each other.

"Alright, that's enough," Nyx said after a while and got up from Gladio's back.  
"There's still time left," Ignis uttered in surprise.   
There was a smirk on the glaive's face. "Why don't you use it to take a shower together?"

"What?!" Gladio stood up from the ground, stretching his whole body once.   
Nyx chuckled. "Come on, eagle boy. Fulfill your sweetheart's fantasy. I remember a certain fanfiction where Liber followed Aegis into the shower to blow him."

"Not _everything_ I write has to be a fantasy of mine," Ignis spluttered out in a hurry.   
Gladio couldn't deny that he wanted to make out with his lover in the shower, but only if the other felt comfortable with it. "Well, I _do_ need a shower after this workout." Carefully, he observed his lover's face for any reaction. 

"But-" Ignis nervously chewed on his bottom lip, looking at Nyx. "That wouldn't be fair to you."

"Aaw, you're so sweet, pretty boy." Nyx smirked. "Want me to join you?"   
"That's not what I've said!" Ignis exclaimed, flustered.   
His fingertips were fumbling with the hem of his shirt while his eyes traveled from Nyx to Gladio and back. The blush had even made the tips of Ignis's ears red. That was quite the strong reaction, even for him.

Nyx chuckled in amusement. "Don't worry. I've got other things to do. I'll wait in the changing room and keep watch. In case someone shows up, I'll come to the shower room to warn you two. Otherwise, you wouldn't dare to do this here anyway, right?"

"That's very obliging," Ignis whispered before his eyes darted towards Gladio.

Taking in a sharp breath, Gladio realized that they were really going to do this. Never had he even dared to dream that Ignis would be up for _anything_ inside the walls of the Citadel, no matter how much privacy these shower stalls provided them with.

Silently they all went to the changing room. 

Never ashamed to show his body, Gladio took off his clothes, whereas Ignis only picked up his shower gel and two towels, handing one to Gladio. 

When they stood at the door to the adjoining shower room, Nyx smiled at them. "Have fun." 

Hesitation stopped Gladio's movements when he saw the melancholic look on his best friend's face. Without thinking, he spoke up. "You sure you don't want to join us?"

With a grin, Nyx licked his lips. "Is that a genuine offer, or are you asking out of pity?"

It hadn't been out of pity. Gladio just suddenly desired to touch Nyx and to get touched by him. Even though he was more than happy with Ignis. It wasn't like his lover had feared in the beginning: Gladio _could_ settle on just one person. Ignis was enough for him, and Gladio had no desire to pick up anybody else. But seeing Nyx standing there alone-

Shaking his head, he tried to get the thought out of his mind. It was a purely physical attraction that had come up on a whim just now. Maybe his body simply was still not used to being without his friend with benefits. 

" _Go_ ," Nyx whispered and turned around. "I can't stand to see that hesitating look on you."

There was uncertainty in his lover's eyes, but Gladio only took a deep breath and left for the showers. Hanging up his towel, he entered the last shower stall, furthest away from the door.

Why had he even _asked_ Nyx to join them while his lover stood right next to them? Was he out of his mind?

Turning on the water, Gladio stepped beneath the hot stream. The warmth was soothing his strained muscles, and he let out a relieved sigh. 

It took a while, but eventually, his lover joined him in the shower, placing a bottle on the small tray in the corner.

Gladio always used the standard shower gel provided by the Citadel. However, he wasn't surprised that his lover brought his own. 

Before he could turn around, Ignis wrapped his arms around him from behind. 

"Embarrassed?" Gladio whispered.  
His lover nodded against his back. "A bit."  
"We don't have to-"  
"I _want_ to." Ignis tightened his arms around Gladio.  
"Alright." Gladio felt like they had had a similar conversation already, and he chuckled. It was cute how shy yet adventurous his lover was. "Will you just cling to me, or can I look forward to more?"

His lover answered this teasing question by pinching Gladio's right nipple.   
"Oh, now you're speaking my language," Gladio said with a grin. Leaning back a bit, he rubbed his ass against Ignis's front. His lover took in a sharp breath and released their hug. Using that opportunity, Gladio turned around to wrap his arms around his lover instead, pressing their hips together. Ignis bit back a moan as their groins collided. 

"Are you sure this is okay?" Ignis asked hesitantly, his eyes darting towards the direction of the door.  
"Hm?"  
"Nyx-"  
"Yeah." Gladio chuckled at once. "You can trust him. He'll keep watch and won't listen in on us."  
"Oh," Ignis blinked in surprise as if that hadn't been the answer to his question. Yet before Gladio could say anything else, his lover already leaned up, placing his lips on Gladio's. 

After closing their eyes, their tongues met in a, by now, familiar yet still exciting dance. Ignis put his hands in Gladio's wet hair, making him moan into the kiss. Pressing closer, Gladio almost put his hands on his lover's hips until he suddenly remembered the bruises. Reluctantly, he merely stroked up and down his back instead.

Their kiss turned more heated, their erections slowly building up as they rubbed against each other. With the hot spray of the shower raining down on them, Gladio soon felt his patience slipping away. The heat was making him dizzy, drunken with desire. Putting his hands on his lover's ass cheeks, Gladio pulled him even closer. They both moaned into the kiss as their erections got pressed together, but Gladio immediately let go again. He shouldn't start to manhandle his lover again. 

Breaking the kiss, Ignis stared at him. "Are you holding back again?"  
"Well, I-"  
With a click of his tongue, his lover suddenly got down on his knees.  
"Iggy, you don't have to-" Gladio took in a sharp breath as his lover licked one long stripe up his erection. Only now did Gladio realize that this was the first time, Ignis had his mouth on him down there. "Oh, fuck." 

The urge to grab his lover's head and push him closer to fuck his mouth was strong, but Gladio held back. Clenching his fists, he looked down into determined green eyes. 

Ignis had his hands on Gladio's hips as he, once more, licked over the twitching erection. A needy growl rumbled inside of Gladio, and Ignis smirked. Encouraged by this reaction, his lover took the tip of the erection into his mouth. Heat engulfed Gladio, and he let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. How much time had passed since he had last received a blowjob? Too much.

As Ignis tried to take more of his length into his mouth, Gladio took in a sharp breath. "Watch your teeth."

Leaning back again, his lover grimaced as the water from the shower hit him in the eye. Squeezing it shut, he quickly rubbed it before he placed a quick kiss on Gladio's tip. After a few kittenish licks, he once again wrapped his lips around Gladio's erection. With a relieved sigh, Gladio put one hand at the back of Ignis's head. He just let it rest there and didn't push him. Yet his lover eagerly took more of him into his mouth. It didn't take more than two seconds until Ignis leaned back again. Coughing, he let go of him. 

" _Bloody hell,_ " his lover exclaimed before he was hit by another coughing fit. "This is more difficult than I have thought."

Empathically, Gladio smiled as he cradled his lover's face. He knew that it wasn't easy to take such a big cock without any practice or experience. "Get back up here."  
"I can do this, Gladiolus," his lover said strictly.  
"I wanna kiss you," Gladio replied as his thumb stroked over thin lips. While it wasn't a lie, it wasn't the whole truth either. He would love to receive a blowjob, but he didn't want Ignis to kneel on the hard floor of this shower while he was coughing his lungs out. They could always try to do this some other time. When they had more time.

Reluctantly, Ignis got back up again. "My apologies." Since he was still sore, the movement made him wince. 

"Come here." Gladio protectively wrapped his left arm around his lover's back. The heat from the shower had flushed Ignis's skin red. Using his right hand, Gladio softly angled Ignis's head a bit to the side. Leaning closer, he pressed their lips together, and their tongues met once again.

Relaxing into the kiss, Ignis put his hands back into Gladio's wet hair. Without breaking their kiss, Gladio let his hand travel down his lover's neck to his chest. With his thumb, he brushed over a nipple, causing the other to moan into the kiss. As he repeated the movements, Ignis's hips twitched against him, a shudder running down his lover's body. Grinning into the kiss, Gladio let his hand travel even further down until he could wrap it around their erections.

A surprised gasp left Ignis as he broke the kiss and looked down.   
"You can watch if you like," Gladio whispered a bit teasingly as he nibbled on Ignis's earlobe.  
"It's not like I-" A moan tumbled from his lips. "That wasn't my intention."  
Gladio only hummed as he kissed down his lover's neck. His hand had already found its usual rhythm, quickly stroking up and down their erections. It felt so good to feel Ignis's heat pressed right against his own.

"You really are impatient, aren't you?" Ignis chuckled, probably in reference to his fast speed.   
"Sorry." Gladio slowed down the movement of his hand a bit.  
"I never said it bothered me." Prompting, his lover pushed his hips closer.  
"Are you sure you-"  
"Do it!" Ignis ordered, pulling on Gladio's hair to emphasize his desire. A deep moan tumbled from Gladio's lips as he sped up the movements of his hand again. 

Due to the water, Ignis's hair was clinging to his forehead, hair gel washed out. With his hands still buried in Gladio's hair, he angled their heads to meet for another kiss. 

When their lips parted again, Ignis whispered, "You could move your other hand a bit further down."

With a chuckle, Gladio let his hand travel from his lover's lower back down his ass. Cupping the firm cheeks, he tightened his grip on their erections a bit.

Clicking his tongue, Ignis raked his fingers through Gladio's hair. "Put your fingers in, would you?"

Gladio took in a sharp breath, stopping all of his movements. While he would love to fulfill his lover's wishes, he had to be reasonable this time. "No, not after that rough night."  
His lover whined in need, burying his face in the crook of Gladio's neck.  
"I'll make you feel good anyway." Gladio got back to stroking their erections. "I promise." After placing a soft kiss on Ignis's wet hair, Gladio let his left hand travel back up again. Sneaking his hand between their bodies, he caressed his lover's nipple.

A loud moan tumbled from Ignis's lips.  
"Shh. Nyx might hear you if you get too loud."

A shudder went through his lover's body as he moaned once more, even louder this time. Gladio didn't know how to interpret that reaction. But his mind got too clouded to think about it when Ignis suddenly sucked on his neck, biting the sensitive skin here and there.

With a groan, Gladio sped up the movements of his hands. Twisting and pinching, he caressed his lover's sensitive bud while his right hand quickly and firmly stroked their erections. Their hips were twitching against each other. 

Closing his eyes, Gladio relished the feeling of his lover's swift fingers massaging his scalp and pulling on his hair. At the same time, Ignis never stopped to suck on Gladio's neck, brushing his teeth over the heated wet skin.

The hot spray of the shower was raining down on them as they tried to muffle their voices as well as possible. 

"I'm getting close," Gladio whispered, speeding up the movements of his hand even further. Encouragingly, Ignis moaned against his neck, sucking just a bit harder. 

Biting down on his bottom lip, Gladio squeezed his eyes shut as his hand lost its rhythm, strokes getting more erratic and desperate. 

It didn't take much longer until that familiar feeling arose inside of him and his orgasm hit him.

Panting against his lover's hair, Gladio slowed his movements to catch his breath as the endorphins rushed through his body.

But he knew that Ignis hadn't come yet. 

Fighting against the sudden fatigue that always came up after he had an orgasm, Gladio took a deep breath.

"Lean against the wall but don't hit your head," he instructed as he pushed his lover against the tiles of the shower stall, right hand on his waist. Ignis let out a startled sound.

At once, Gladio kneeled down to take his lover's erection into his mouth. Expecting the surprised twitch of his hips, he hadn't taken him too deeply. He grinned when his lover jerked forward just as expected. Eagerly he pressed his tongue against the underside of the hot cock. His hand traveled from Ignis's waist up to his chest. 

When Gladio pinched his lover's nipples both at once, he got rewarded by a high-pitched moan. 

"Gladiolus, I-"

While twisting the sensitive buds again, Gladio took his lover's erection even deeper into his mouth and sucked on it - once but hard.

Ignis slapped a hand against his mouth to stifle his cry as he came down Gladio's throat.   
Greedily, he drank it all up. 

Carefully, he let go of his lover's softening erection. Kissing his way up over his stomach, chest, and neck, Gladio eventually nibbled on Ignis's earlobe again. "Good?"  
His lover snorted. "Of course."  
"Good." Gladio chuckled and placed another kiss on Ignis's cheek.

Slowly, reality came back to Gladio's blissed-out mind. They shouldn't take more time than necessary and make Nyx wait even longer. After reaching for the shower gel, he turned off the hot water. 

Quickly, they both showered while exchanging a few kisses here and there before they picked up their towels to dry off. Wrapping them around their waists, they went back to the changing room.

To Gladio's surprise, Nyx wasn't there. However, he could hear some muffled voices from outside the door. Someone must have come by, and his best friend was either stalling for time or trying to chase them away.

"Don't worry," Gladio whispered as he noticed a hint of panic in his lover's eyes.

Quickly, he put on his clothes to get his best friend out of this situation.

Opening the door slightly, he looked outside. Nyx was standing in front of the changing room, Domicella in front of him. Immediately, Gladio left the room. He closed the door behind him far enough that she couldn't look inside but left it ajar enough for Ignis to listen in on them.

"Yo," Gladio greeted Domicella as if nothing had happened.  
"Is that a _new_ hickey?!" the maid exclaimed loudly, and Gladio's eyes widened in panic. _Shit_ , he hadn't looked into the mirror. But judging by how Ignis had clung to his neck, he shouldn't be surprised. 

"Ssh, be quiet!" Gladio returned at once, putting a finger against his lips to emphasize his plea. He really didn't need the whole Citadel to know that he had made out in the shower rooms with the advisor of the prince. Droplets of water fell from his still wet hair down on his back, making him shudder.

"Oh, my gods!" The maid giggled, hopping from one leg to the other in excitement. The frilly black skirt of her maid dress was bouncing up and down with her movements. 

Nyx rolled his eyes at the display. "Don't start a scene," he ordered strictly, but for once Domicella didn't listen to him.

"I can't believe it!" she exclaimed once more, her eyes sparkling.  
"Hey, shut it!" Gladio tried once again.   
"You've got a new-"

"Domicella." Cor's voice had been quiet, but it lacked neither impact nor authority as he suddenly walked towards them. 

The blonde maid immediately slapped both hands over her mouth, eyes wide as her lover suddenly stood next to her. There was a loud clattering sound when her mop fell to the ground. 

With a straight face, Cor leaned down to pick it up again. "You've dropped something." As far as Gladio could remember, the marshall had never leaned down when something had fallen down but always let others pick it up. Especially not when someone else had dropped it. 

"T-thank you, sir," she stuttered as she accepted the mop with shaking hands. Beads of sweat were coming up on her forehead as she nervously stared at her lover with huge green eyes. 

Ignoring her, the marshall turned to look at the two men. "Is there a problem?" His voice was without judgment, but Gladio could still feel the tension in the air. 

Putting a hand on his chest, Nyx replied excessively humbly yet not without a smirk on his face. "I merely asked her if she could wait another ten minutes before she cleaned the room."

"Well, that shouldn't be a problem." Cor put a hand to Domicella's lower back. Even though there was a small smile on his lips, he looked more intimidating than ever before. "Why don't you come with me for a moment so we can _talk_ about this in private?"

"Of course, sir," she immediately answered, face red up to the tips of her ears as she clung to her broom like a lifeline. 

Nyx chuckled as he watched them walk away, but Gladio only sighed in relief, leaning his back against the wall. 

"Looks like you've had some fun, eagle boy" his best friend said. Gladio held his breath as Nyx's soft fingertips traced over the spot on his neck where Ignis's lips had been only minutes ago. His touch was gentle, and the gesture shouldn't be as intimate as it felt, but there was the same longing in his best friend's eyes that Gladio held as well. Taking in one shaky breath, Gladio's nose got filled by Nyx's familiar scent, and he craved _more_.

Suddenly, the door squeaked, and Nyx quickly pulled back his hand.  
"My apologies," Ignis said, his eyes darting from one man to the other. "I didn't mean to interrupt."

"You haven't, pretty boy," Nyx replied with a soft smile and turned around towards Ignis. Tenderly, he brushed a strand of wet hair that had fallen to Ignis's eyes behind his ear. His lover bit on his bottom lip as Nyx's thumb shortly brushed over his flushed cheek in the process.

_Fuck._ Where was this hot tension coming from?

A heavy silence settled between them as Gladio racked his brain in search of a solution to whatever this situation was. The only thing he knew for sure was that his body craved Nyx. It wasn't a new feeling. Gladio had always been physically attracted to his best friend. And over the last weeks, when he had gone without sex for such a long period of time, it had been no surprise that he had desired Nyx.

But now, it was different.

Now it _should_ be different.

Because he had Ignis now. The love of his life was finally by his side, in his arms, as close as they could be. They had made out with each other merely ten minutes ago, yet Gladio still felt himself getting pulled towards his best friend.

Maybe he was still just too far gone because of his orgasm. His mind was playing tricks on him, falling prey to Nyx's never-ending charm. 

For now, the only thing he could do was to get out of this situation before it was too late and before he did something he couldn't ever take back again.

"Well then, I've gotta go home. Iris will never forgive me if I don't spend the evening with her," Gladio uttered what sounded like a lame excuse even in his own ears. "See ya."

Without awaiting a reply, he turned around and left, feeling his heart beating up to his throat.

"I've got some paperwork to finish. Have a nice evening, Nyx." Ignis said before he followed after him, walking in the same direction, yet Gladio didn't dare to turn around. He couldn't meet his lover's eyes now.

As soon as he had left the Citadel, Gladio sped up his steps and ran home. 

His lungs were burning by the time he arrived, screaming for air. Leaning down, he put his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath. When would he learn that he couldn't run away from his own thoughts or feelings? 

Once his breathing had normalized again, Gladio entered the house. His sister immediately came running for him, and he hugged her tightly. 

As he stepped into the living room, he saw his father sitting on a chair while Jared stood behind him. Diligently, the butler shaved off the bit of hair that had grown on Clarus's head. "Welcome home, young master."

"Are you alright, son?" Of course, his dad immediately realized something was going on. Sometimes Gladio forgot how attentive his father could be.  
"I'm fine," Gladio replied. As soon as the words had left his lips, he cringed inwardly, realizing that Ignis had said the same thing over and over today.

His father threw him a scrutinizing gaze but didn't ask any more questions.

"Hey, Jared? Can you do my hair as well?" The question had left Gladio's lips on a whim, but he didn't regret it. He was in the mood for a change, and his hair had annoyed him anyway lately.

"Well, of course. As soon as I'm done here," Jared replied with a smile.  
"Thanks."

As promised, Jared soon got to work, shaving off Gladio's sides. Gladio felt better this way. The hair on top of his head and on the back was still long. But he was finally freed from these annoying strands falling to his face or point in any directions they shouldn't point at.

Iris had watched in awe, her eyes widening when the first bit of hair had fallen down to the floor. 

Gladio spent his evening with his family, desperately trying not to think about Nyx. 

Needless to say that his thoughts kept wandering back to him anyway, even when he lay in bed late at night, too restless to fall asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nyx... ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
> 
> I hope you've enjoyed reading! Feel free to drop a comment, reading your thoughts and impressions keeps me going ♥  
> I'm using Twitter on a daily basis, so if you're ever interested in any updates, you know where to look!  
> [Check out my Profile to find me on Tumblr or Twitter!](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SophiaHoppia/profile)  
> [Or simply check out my other fanfictions!](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SophiaHoppia/works)


End file.
